Back To You
by spnaley
Summary: Nathan broke Haley's heart five years ago.  They haven't seen or spoken to one another since, but what happens when her brother's wedding brings them face to face once again.
1. Chapter 1

**Okay, so here is a new story. This is an AU. There might be some references to the actual show, but this is a different storyline. Here's a little background information before you start reading.**

**Lucas and Haley are siblings. Their parents are Jimmy and Lydia James. Lucas is one year older than Haley. Nathan and Brooke are siblings. Their parents are Dan and Karen Scott. Nathan is a year older than Lucas-two years older than Haley. Brooke and Haley are the same age. They have been best friends since kindergarten.**

**Nathan and Haley started dating Nathan's junior year/Haley's freshmen year of high school. Both Lucas and Brooke were fine with this. They always felt that Nathan and Haley had feelings for each other and knew it was just a matter of time before they came to their senses.**

**Nathan is really into basketball and hoped to make it into the pros. He went to Duke Universary on a basketball scholarship. He is now the starting point gaurd for the New York Knicks.**

**Haley went to Stanford on a full academic scholarship. She is now the editor-in-chief of the newest, hottest magazine. She lives in L.A.**

**Brooke went to school in New York for fashion design. She owns her own clothing company, Clothes Over Bros, which has proved to be quite successful bringing in a multi-million dollar profit. She is currently residing in New York just like Nathan.**

**Lucas is still living in Tree Hill with his high school sweetheart, Peyton Sawyer. They were the same age and has been dating since their freshmen year of high school. They both went to UNC following graduation. Peyton majored in music and started her own recording label. Lucas is a writer and has already published one novel and currently working on his second. Upon graduating from UNC, they both wanted to move back to Tree Hill.**

**Other characters from the show will be in this story as well. They will be revealed throughout the story. The couples are Nathan/Haley and Lucas/Peyton. Other couples will form throughout the story as well. I apologize if you don't like the couples I have paired, but this is a Naley story. There will be some references to other couples but very light. I can tell you personally that I'm not really a Leyton fan, although, I did like them in season six on the show. But they fit together in this story. And giving away some information, I'm a huge Brulian fan, so I'm pretty sure Julian and Brooke will be paired together. But even if not, I had to have Julian is in this story. I just love him. I kind of wish he was the same Julian from season six on the actual show, but I still love him. **

**This is just some basic information to get you guys started. Everything else will be revealed throughout the story. There will be a lot of flashbacks. Also, I love a lot of dialogue when I read and write stories so there will be a lot of dialogue within this story. I hope you guys don't mind that and enjoy it. Well, anyway. I posted the first chapter along with this prologue. So, read it and let me know what you think. I hope you enjoy it!**


	2. Chapter 2

_"What's wrong, Hales?" Nathan asked as they were lying on her bed with her cuddled into his side._

_"I'm just scared." She said._

_"About what?" He prodded._

_"You're leaving for Duke tomorrow. I don't want you to go. I don't want things to change between us." She admitted. He sat up bringing her with him. He saw the tears in her eyes and his heart broke. He was struggling with leaving the next day as well. He didn't want to leave her. "I love you, Hales, you know that. I'm going to miss you so much. But nothing is going to change between us. And Durham isn't that far away from Tree Hill."_

_"It's far enough." She mumbled._

_"Hales, I love you, and nothing will ever change that. Nothing and nobody is going to come between us ever. You are mine, __and I am yours. We will be together for the rest of our lives. I'm going to marry you someday, Haley James. We're going to have lots of babies. We're going to come back to Tree Hill and live in a big house with a big yard and an amazing pool. __And we're going to live happily ever after." He reassured._

_"Promise?" She questioned._

_"I promise." He confirmed._

_"I love you so much, Nathan Scott." She cried resting her forhead against his._

_"I love you, too." He said before capturing her lips in a passionate kiss. The two fell back to the bed tangled up in a heavy make-out session. The boundaries of their relationship has never crossed beyond some intense make-out sessions with a few items of clothing being shed. That's as far as it ever got. Haley wasn't ready to have sex yet. And Nathan respected her. He loved her too much to push her into anything she wasn't ready for. He, himself, wasn't still a virgin. He lost his virginity his sophomore year of high school. After that, he slept around slightly until he started dating Haley his junior year of high school._

_Their kiss intensified and Haley could feel how much he wanted her. She moaned slightly when he cupped her breast through her shirt. He moved his hand lower finding the hem of her shirt. He slipped his hand under the fabric and slid it gently along her bare skin until he reached her bra. She pushed him away allowing just enough space between them so she could throw her shirt off of her body. His eyes feasted on her bra-clad breasts as she layed back down flat against the bed. __He leaned forward and kissed her neck and moved lower. He moved down passed her breasts to her flat stomach planting hot, open-mouthed kisses along her skin. Haley felt her insides heat up. She quivered as he popped open the button of her jeans. She reached down and cupped his cheeks pulling him back up her body kissing him urgently. She reached for the hem of his shirt and ripped it from his body while running her hands up and down his broad, muscular chest. She ran her hands back down his stomach gliding over his toned abs and even lower as she brushed against his hard erection through his jeans eliciting a groan to fall from his lips. He grabbed her hand haulting her movements and pushed it down against the mattress next to her head. She felt him pull back slightly. "We have to stop, Hales, or I'm not going to be able to." He breathed out._

_"Nathan, I might not be ready to have sex yet. But I'm pretty sure there are other things we could do to each other." She purred seductively. She wasn't ready to stop. She wanted to move forward in her relationship with Nathan. She wasn't ready to be with him completely, but she was ready to venture onto that next step. She wanted to, and she would have no regrets. She looked into his dark lust-filled eyes urging him to continue. He leaned forward once again and placed hot, wet kisses along her neck. Her breathing hitched when he glided his hands down her body, over her breasts, across her stomach to where her jeans began. She snapped her eyes shut with anticipation as he delved his hands into her jeans and under her panties as well. He teased her for a bit before he..._

Haley groaned as she heard her cell phone buzzing followed shortly by her loud ringtone. She hid her face into her pillow praying for the sound to stop. It did, and she smiled before attempting to fall back into her peaceful slumber. Seconds later, the dreadful noise sounded once again. She reached over and grabbed her phone. "What?" She bit out irritated.

"Is that any way to greet your best friend?" A male voice sounded.

"Yes, it is. I'm trying to sleep. What do you want, Julian?" She asked tiredly.

"Nothing. I just wanted to wake you up." Julian answered.

"Damn it, Julian!" She complained.

"I'm kidding, beautiful. I was calling to see if you wanted to grab some dinner with me tonight. I start shooting that commercial today, and I have a feeling I'm going to have to unwind after the day is done." He said.

"Seriously? You called me at freakin seven o'clock in the morning for that." She said incredulously while glancing at the alarm clock sitting on her nightstand.

"Yup. So, what do you say? Dinner tonight-my place?" He asked.

"Fine. Count me in." She answered. "So, are you excited about this commercial?" She asked while stretching in her bed knowing she was now awake for the day.

"I'm excited about the directing part. I don't care too much about the commercial." He responded honestly.

"What's the commercial about?" She questioned.

"It's some body spray ad. I don't know. All I know is that they've endorsed some major NBA star. I just wish it was a movie instead of a commercial." He stated.

"Oh, stop, Julian. You just finished directing a movie. Your first major movie, and it was fantastic. It was a hit in the box office, and there's still a buzz about it. So, this week it's a commercial. Next week could be another major movie. You just have to keep working hard and doing what you're doing. More great things are to come Julian Baker." She reassured.

"You see, this is why I called you. You always know the right thing to say to me, beautiful. I love you, you know that." He said.

"Yes, I do. I love you, too." She said.

"So, did I interrupt a good dream?" He asked changing the subject.

"No. I had another dream about him, Julian." She stated softly.

"Nathan?" He asked already knowing the answer.

"Yes, Nathan." She answered exasperated.

"What was this one about?" He asked.

"The night before he left for Duke. That's four nights in a row now. Why the hell am I suddenly dreaming about him?" She cried.

"Have you been thinking about him lately?" He asked.

"No, the last time I even mentioned him was a couple months ago. Lucas told me that he was going to be in New York and was making plans to meet up with him. That was the only mention of him during that conversation and that's the last time I have mentioned him." She answered.

"I don't know, beautiful. Maybe there's no reason at all for you to be dreaming or thinking about him. Maybe it's just simply a dream. People have weird and random dreams all of the time. I know I do. Once I had a dream about Nathan. Did I ever tell you about that? I've never even met the guy in person. Talk about random." He joked hoping to make her laugh which she did.

"Thanks, Julian. You're probably right. It's just a dream. I haven't seen or spoken to him in five years, and I don't intend to any time soon." She said.

"That's my girl." He stated.

"Well, I better let you go. I'm hungry, and I have to take a shower." She said.

"Really? Well, if you hold off, I can be there in about fifteen minutes if the traffic agrees with me. Then, I could join you." He suggested.

"I don't think I can hold off. Why don't you just save up all of your energy for tonight." She countered suggestively.

"Gladly. I'll see you tonight, beautiful." He said.

"See you tonight." She said before ending the call. She set the phone down before jumping out of bed and rushing into her bathroom for a shower. After about a fifteen minute shower, she wrapped a towel securely around her body before towel drying her hair slightly. She made her way out of the bedroom and into the kitchen where she saw one of her roomates sitting at the counter eating a bowl of cereal. "Good morning, Millie."

"Good morning, Hales." The girl greeted.

"Where's Alex?" Haley asked. Millie gave her a pointed look. "Let me guess, she's still out from last night." Haley said as Millie nodded her head. "Why do I even ask?" Haley said as the two girls laughed. Haley made her way over to the freshly made coffee and poured herself a cup.

"Julian wake you up?" Millie deduced.

"Yes. Why else would I be up this early on a day off?" Haley chuckled.

"Is he coming over tonight for a late night booty call?" Millie asked raising an eyebrow.

"Actually, no." Haley answered.

"Really?" Millie said in surprise.

"I'm going over there." Haley smiled innocently at the girl.

"You are such a dirty girl, Haley James." Millie said.

"Hey, at least I'm not like Alex." Haley countered.

"You're not like Alex how?" A voice asked causing the girls to turn their heads towards the doorway finding their other roomate.

"I'm not a whore who sleeps around." Haley said.

"Hey!" Alex mock pouted as both Haley and Millie gave her a pointed look. "Okay, so it's true. I like boys. What can I say? Anyway, not all of us have a best friend who not only has the benefits of a friend, but has the benefits in the bedroom." Alex defended herself while casting a playful glance towards Haley.

"She's got you there." Millie chimed in.

"Yeah, I know." Haley agreed. Alex was right. Julian is Haley's best friend. He has been since their freshmen year at Stanford. They met and had an instant connection with one another. They were both scholarly and had a deep love for books and movies. They clicked and became inseparable. They are also what is normally described as "friends with benefits." They haven't always had this type of relationship with each other. The sexual side of their relationship didn't start until their junior year of college. They actually lost their virginity to one another. It wasn't because they discovered any hidden feelings for each other. It wasn't because they expressed their love for each other. It happened after a funeral. Haley's parent's funeral to be exact.

Haley had receieved word that her parents had died instantly in a car accident. She was pretty shut down, and Julian came home with her to Tree Hill for the funeral. He stayed with her and Lucas for the entire week. The day of the funeral arrived, and Haley was still a mess. That night, after the service, after the burial, and after everyone was gone, it was just him and Haley. Lucas went to stay with Peyton for a few days. Haley had been shutting her brother out, and he didn't know what else to do. Julian told Lucas that he would take care of Haley. He went up to her old bedroom and found her sitting on the bed. She was looking through some old photographs of her family.

_"Hey, beautiful." He greeted softly walking further into the bedroom. "How are you holding up?" He asked while taking a seat next to her on the bed._

_"Not so good. This can't be happening, Julian. How can this be happening?" She cried as he quickly wrapped his arms around her as she sobbed into his shirt. "It's okay. I'm here. It's okay." He whispered gently stroking her hair._

_"It hurts. Will it ever stop hurting?" She cried. After a couple of seconds, he felt her pulling away from him slightly until she was staring directly into his eyes. He looked at her confused. It was then that she leaned slightly closer to him until her lips were hovering right in front of his. "Make the pain go away, Julian." She whispered before capturing his lips in a soft, sensual kiss. After a minute, he broke away. "What are you doing, Haley?"_

_"I want to stop hurting, even if only for a moment." She explained._

_"Haley, you don't want to do this. You're vulnerable right now. You're only going to regret this after it's over. You want your first time to be special and meaningful." He rejected her softly._

_"But it will be. You're the only person I trust in this world right now aside from Lucas. You're my best friend, and I love you. My first time will be special and meaningful, because I know how much you love me and care about me. I feel the same way. Please, Julian. I won't regret anything. I know I'm sad and hurt and vulnerable, but I know what I'm saying. I know what I'm doing. Please, Julian. Please just be my best friend and be here for me. I need you." She pleaded. He watched her for a moment and his heart broke. He knew she wasn't lying about regretting this decision. He wanted to take her pain away. And at the moment, there was only one way he could. So, he kissed her. And he gave away his virginity to her that night and took away hers. They awoke the next morning and processed what happened the night before. They agreed that it meant nothing more than comfort. Neither one of them had feelings that ventured beyond friendship. They were best friends. If anything, their night together created a deeper bond between the two. After that night, they went back to normal. They never had sex again after that night, nor did they want to. At least not until two months ago when they began their "friends with benefits" relationship._

* * *

><p>"Nathan, are you ready?" Clay asked.<p>

"Yeah, man, just a second." Nathan answered. A few seconds went by, and Clay grew even more irritated. "Nate, hurry up. We were supposed to be on the set like five minutes ago." He complained while flipping through some unopened mail in his i-phone.

"Jeez, I'm coming! Chill out." Nathan said while walking out of the bathroom of the hotel room. "What's the big deal? So, we're a little late. Who cares?" He said and rolled his eyes when he heard Clay let out a scoff.

"Who cares? It's amazing how inconsiderate you are. I shouldn't be so surprised considering I've been representing you for three years now. I had a hell of a time getting these guys to use you as their spokesman. You are getting a very, very generous endorsement out of this. The least you could do is show a little gratitude by actually being on time." Clay huffed out.

"Whatever. Let's go." Nathan said as he and Clay walked out of the hotel. They weaved through some reporters and fans that were waiting outside. They climbed into the limo and set off in the direction of the studio. Clay noticed Nathan fidgeting in his seat. "What is wrong with you?" He asked.

"I hate limos." Nathan shot out causing Clay to roll his eyes. "I hate LA. I want to go back to New York and drive my own car. Who the hell would ever want to live in this god forsaken city?" Nathan continued on in annoyance.

"Do you want this endorsement or not? And do you want the ten point five million dollars you're getting out of it?" Clay asked.

"Yes." Nathan replied shortly.

"Then, shut the hell up. You're only here for two days. Just suck it up." Clay shot out.

"Fine. I'll shut up." Nathan replied. The two rode in silence the rest of the way to the studio. They climbed out of the limo and walked inside. The building was swarming with people scurrying around completely focused. They walked further into the building trying to find where they were needed. "Nathan Scott! Over here!" A voice shouted.

"Hi, I'm Clay, Nathan's agent. This is Nathan." Clay introduced shaking the man's hand.

"Hi, I'm Neil Reynolds." The man responded shaking Nathan's hand.

"Are you the director?" Clay asked.

"Oh, no. I'm just his assistant. He'll be right out. He's on a phone call right now. He should be out any minute though." Neil responded. Just then, a man came walking into the room busily talking on his cell phone. "Seriously, calm down. I have to get going. The guy is finally here." The man said into the phone while glaring momentarily at Nathan. Nathan shot a look at Clay in annoyance while Clay just laughed. "Okay, I have to go. Bye." The man said quickly while snapping his phone shut. "Sorry. Women-you know how that goes." He said focusing his attention to Nathan, Clay, and Neil.

"Yeah, we do. Hi, I'm Clay Evans." Clay said stretching out his hand towards the man.

"Hi, I'm Julian Baker." Julian responded shaking his hand.

"This is Na..."

"Nathan Scott. I know all about you." Julian interrupted stretching his hand towards Nathan.

"Good for you." Nathan snapped refusing to shake Julian's hand. Clay elbowed Nathan in his side. "Sorry, Julian, Nathan's just in a bit of a bad mood today." Clay glared at Nathan.

"It's quite alright. Well, since we're already behind on schedule. Why don't we just get started." Julian suggested looking pointedly at Nathan.

"Fine by me. The sooner we get started, the sooner I get to go back to New York." Nathan replied causing another eye roll from his agent who shared an apologetic look with Julian.

A couple hours flew by and everyone was growing more and more irritated with Nathan's attitude and lack of enthusiasm. Julian pulled Clay aside and said that Nathan has to get his act together. They have a deadline and were already running behind schedule due to the late arrival. "I'm sorry, Julian. He was already in a bad mood, but I don't know what his problem is now. I'll go talk to him." Clay responded.

"No, I'll do it." Julian said walking away towards the direction of Nathan with Clay tailing behind. "Look, Nathan, we need to get this done. I need your cooperation with this. Everyone's tired and everyone's restless. Let's shoot this commercial and be done." He said.

"I have been shooting. It's not my fault nobody knows what they're doing around here." Nathan shot out.

"Nathan. What the hell is wrong with you?" Clay scolded. He watched as Nathan turned his attention back to Julian and sent a pointed look his way. Julian glared right back at him refusing to back down. "Look, I think we both know what your problem with me is right now." Julian said as Clay watched the scene confused as well as intrigued.

"You don't know shit!" Nathan seethed.

"Really?" Julian challenged. As if on cue, his cell phone rang and he looked down and couldn't stop the smile which envaded his face. He pushed answer and held the phone up to his ear. "Haley James, how's it going beautiful?" He greeted and watched as the color seemed to drain from Nathan's face. He sent a smug smile his way before disappearing into the crowd. "Nathan, what is wrong with you? We need to get this commercial shot." Clay said. Nathan didn't say anything. He just continued staring in the direction where Julian vanished off to. "Nathan!" Clay exclaimed but still, Nathan said nothing.

_Nathan returned home to his penthouse apartment after a grueling day of practice. He was exhausted and wanted nothing more than a hot shower, some good food, and a couple of refreshing beers. He had just finished his shower and heard the doorbell sound alerting him that his food had arrived. He paid for his food, took out a couple beers from his fridge, and carried them along with his food to the couch in his living room. He noticed a couple of messages blinking on his answer__ing machine and pushed play while getting settled._

_"Hey, big brother. It's your favorite sister-Brooke! As you know, I had my fashion show for my new spring line months ago. __I found you flirting shamelessly with one of my models, Rachel. She was the gorgeous red-head. Well, you remember. Any__way, I sort of maybe was wondering if you would like to go out on a date with her. I ran into her for another modeling gig, __and she was asking about you. Well, just let me know, big bro. Hey, that rhymed!"_

_Nathan let out a slight chuckle as he heard his sister giggling at herself before pushing delete and waited for the next message to play._

_"Hey, Nate, it's Lucas. I was just calling to tell you that I'm going to be in New York for a book signing in a couple of months. I was hoping to catch up with you while I'm in town. Call me and let me know a good time we can get together. Oh, and Peyton says hi. I'll talk to you later._

_Nathan deleted that message as well. He was excited to see Lucas. It's been close to year since they've actually seen each other and had the chance to hang out in person. They still talk often, but it wasn't the same. He made a mental note to call Lucas the next day to set up a good time. He clicked on the television and began eating. E! Hollywood popped on and he was just about to switch the channel when he heard her name._

_"We're here today talking with the beautiful Haley James." The host said. Nathan quickly turned the volume up on his tv and directed his complete focus to his ex-girlfriend. "She is the hottest new thing to hit Hollywood." The host said as Haley had a small blush covering her face. Nathan couldn't help but smile at the sight. "And she's not even in the actual show business. She is editor-in-chief of the newest, hottest magazine, In The Zone. She was labeled as the next big one, and she has certainly proved that to be true. So, Haley, how are you doing? You look absolutely stunning."_

_"Well, thank you. I am doing very well, thanks." Haley responded. Nathan couldn't agree more with the host. Haley was dressed in a form-fitting yellow dress which accented her curves and highlighted her skin. The dress had a plunging neck__line showing off just the right amount of cleavage. The dress stopped at her mid-thigh allowing for those amazing legs of hers to be displayed. The heels she was wearing made her legs appear to be longer than what they were. Her long, auburn colored hair was cascading down her back with a slight curl. Her make-up was natural with just a bit of glimmer on her eyelids, a small layer of mascara on her eyelashes, and a shiny gloss covering her lips giving her a glowing look. She looked beautiful, and Nathan found it difficult to tear his eyes away from her._

_"So, Haley, how crazy is your life right now?"_

_"Oh gosh, crazy! But a wonderful crazy. It's taking some time adjusting to my new lifestyle, but I'm loving every minute of it. The hectic schedules and the neverending dealines are so exhilerating. I'm not a girl who's used to all of the spotlight or the glitz and glam, but it has been an easy transition. I have a wonderful group of friends and family as well as a wonderful group of eployees who have been such a great support system. I'm really loving and enjoying my new life right now." Haley answered._

_"That's great. So, we did our research."_

_"Of course you did." Haley said with a slight laugh._

_"Well, you're from Tree Hill, North Carolina, is that correct?"_

_"Yes, that is correct." Haley answered sensing where this question was heading._

_"Well, it's quite interesting because Nathan Scott and Brooke Scott are also from Tree Hill, North Carolina."_

_"Yes, they are." Haley responded. Nathan listened intently waiting for more to be revealed about their sordid history._

_"So, you guys are all around the same age. Did you know one another?"_

_"Yes, we did. Brooke and I were in the same grade. Nathan and my brother were close friends. Actually, we were all pretty close friends back then." Haley answered._

_"Do you still keep in contact with them?"_

_"Honestly, after graduation we went our separate ways. College and life got in the way, and we lost contact with one another. I know my brother and Nathan are still good friends, but truthfully, I haven't spoken to Nathan or Brooke since I left to go to Stanford. But they are both doing very well for themselves, and I couldn't be happier for them." Haley responded carefully._

_"Yes, I almost forgot that your brother is Lucas James. His novel was on the best seller's list."_

_"Yes, it was! I am so incredibly proud of him." Haley gushed proudly causing Nathan to smile. Lucas and Haley were always very close. It was hard to believe Lucas was a year older. Most of the time, the two acted more like twins._

_"Well, maybe we should all move to Tree Hill. It seems like all of the famous people are from that city." The hostess replied as she and Haley laughed._

_"Okay, well, I have one final question for you. One that many fans are dying to know the answer to. Julian Baker."_

_"Julian Baker. Yes, what about him?" Haley asked laughing._

_"What's the story between you two? We know that you both attended Stanford at the same time. Sources says the two of you were close in college. Now, you're both here in LA. You're both in the spotlight. We've captured some close moments between the two of you. There are some photos of the two of you cuddling, holding hands, and a couple of affectionate kisses on the cheeks and foreheads. So, what's the deal?"_

_"Julian is my best friend." Haley said vaguely._

_"Just a friend?"_

_"We are friends." Haley stated refusing to discard any further information._

_"Okay, then. Well, that's all the time we have for today. It was such a pleasure having you here with us today. We extend our congratulations on the success with In The Zone and wish you a great deal of more success."_

_Nathan clicked off his television. He stared at the screen plageued by many emotions. Memories of him and Haley flooded his mind, and he was overcome with a wave of sadness. He would be lying if he said he hadn't thought about her everyday. __And he would be lying if he said he didn't miss her and still love her. He knew there was a part of him that would love her until the day he died. But he would never admit that out loud to anyone. __He couldn't admit that out loud to anyone. Not even his agent, Clay, knew about his past with Haley. He's a celebrity, and now, she's in the spotlight as well. The last thing either of them needed was to be thrust into the tabloids due to their sordid past. The past was the past. It was over and done with. Besides, he was the one who ended things. He's moved on, and she's moved on with Julian. He knows that much is true._

"Nathan!" Clay yelled again finally capturing the attention of his client. "What's going on?"

"Nothing. Look, let's just get this over with." Nathan said just as Julian came walking back over to them snapping his phone shut. "Look, I'm sorry, Julian. I'm ready to start over whenever you are." Nathan said begrudgingly.

"Okay, good. Let's get started." Julian said. "From the top everyone!" He yelled.

**Okay, so there's the first chapter. Let me know what you guys think. I love to get feedback. Also, don't worry about Julian and Haley-this is a Naley story. I don't like to read love scenes between Nathan or Haley with anyone else. And I don't like to write them either. But I know there are questions, and answers will be revealed throughout the story. I will have another update up very soon. So anyway, I hope you like it so far. Let me know what you guys think.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Okay, so yes, another chapter already. I actually have the first six chapters pretty much written. I'm kind of out of work right now, and I am sooo bored! So, anyway, I hope you are enjoying the story. And I might even have another chapter up later today. LOL!**

"Rise and shine, sleepyhead." Julian said pulling the covers slightly down revealing Haley's naked back.

"Go away, Julian." She mumbled sleepily.

"No can do. It's time to get up and start the day." He spoke.

"What is your deal with waking me up so early on my days off? Just because you have to wake up early and go to work, does not mean you have to wake me up as well." She huffed out in annoyance.

"Oh, you know how I live to torture you, Haley James. But seriously, get dressed. I'm hungry. Let's go out to breakfast instead of staying here." He said.

"Fine, toss me a shirt." She groaned. She wanted nothing more than to fall back into her deep slumber, but she knew Julian wouldn't leave her alone and disappear like she hoped. Julian found his shirt from the previous night and tossed it her way. He watched as she threw it onto her body and crawled out of bed. "Can I at least go take a shower?" She asked teasingly.

"I suppose." He said.

An hour later, they were both showered and dressed. They were currently sitting in a cafe eating breakfast and drinking some coffee. "So, there's this new columnist that was just hired at the magazine." Haley stated.

"Okay, that's good." Julian said disinterested tone.

"Yeah, she's really sweet. She's about twenty-two. She has blonde hair and blue eyes. She's a little on the ditzy side, but she is such a nice girl. Her name's Leanne." She continued.

"No." He simply stated.

"No, what?" She played dumb.

"You're not setting me up with anyone." He said.

"Come on, Julian. Why not?" She asked.

"Haley, I'm not interested in anyone right now. I'm just starting my career, and I can't deal with a relationship along with it." He argued.

"You sound like a girl." She said as he glared at her. "Please, Julian. Just one date. I showed her a picture of you. She thinks you're really cute."

"Damn it, Haley. Why do you irritate me like this? I'm not interested." He said.

"So what, you just want to have meaningless sex with your best friend the rest of your life." She argued.

"Hello, pot. Meet, kettle." He retorted. "What about you? When's the last time you've went out on a date?" He challenged.

"That's different, because I don't believe in love. Love is for saps, and it doesn't exist." She answers.

"Well, aren't we quite the cynic today?" He said as she rolled her eyes. "I'll make you a deal. I'll go out with someone you set me up with, if you go out with someone I set you up with." He suggested.

"Julian." She warned.

"Nope, that's the deal. Take it or leave it." He said sternly refusing to back down.

"Fine, leave it." She relented in a defeated tone.

"Okay, then. By the way, it might not be love when we're together, but it's also not meaningless." He said as she smiled at him. "So, how did your day go yesterday? We never really talked about it." She asked changing the subject.

"It was fine. It was stressful. First, the guy shows up almost an hour late. Then, he's a complete pain in the ass. He has this cocky attitude that makes you want to punch him everytime he opens his mouth." He vents leaving out the part about it being Nathan.

"I'm sorry. Well, today's the last day of filming. Maybe it will go better today." She reassured.

"Yeah, if he decides to cooperate." He mumbles.

"Have some faith, buddy. You know, I was thinking of coming with you to the studio today." She revealed catching him off gaurd.

"Wh...why would you want to do that?" He stuttered.

"Well, I have the whole day off. I don't have anything better to do, and I don't want to sit around the apartment all day."  
>She said.<p>

"But I'm going to be so busy. You probably won't even get to see me, beautiful." He said.

"So what. Hey, maybe I can get your guy to cooperate. I have ways, you know." She suggested.

"No, you can't come." He said quickly.

"Why not? You've never had any problems with me coming to the studio with you before. We drove here together, so I'm going to have to drop you off there anyway. I might as well stay until you're finished." She said.

"Look, Hales, you don't want to go over there today. Not for this commercial anyways." He said.

"What's that supposed to mean?" She asked.

"Nothing. Did you have another dream about Nathan last night?" He asked hoping to change the subject.

"No, I didn't. But don't you dare try to subject change on me, Julian Baker." She warned. He didn't say anything and did everything to keep from looking directly at her. "Julian!" She exclaimed.

"Fine. I wasn't completely honest with you about yesterday." He began as she looked at him confused and waited for him to continue. "You kind of know the guy who's shooting this commercial." He said vaguely as she still looked confused. "I told you yesterday. He is some big NBA star who's getting these endorsements. He's from New York." He continued as she still looked somewhat confused. "Think about it, Hales." He said a little more forcefully. After a couple of seconds, she finally clued into who he was talking about. "Nathan. Nathan's the one who's shooting this commercial." She stated in disbelief.

"Yes." He confirmed quietly. He watched the emotions play across her face and didn't know what to say. He could read her better than anyone, but he honestly didn't know what she wanted him to say right now. "Are you okay?" He asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Why the hell is he here? And why are you the one who has to be working with him? We don't live on opposite sides of the country for nothing." She complained.

"It's only for one more day. Then, we're done. The commercial's over, and he goes back to New York. It will be like he was never even here." He said.

"I guess you're right. I shouldn't be making this into a big deal. We're over, and we have been for a long time." She said. Silence drifted over their table. "You know what, maybe I will go with you. Maybe it's time to see him and put our past behind us completely." She suggested after a couple minutes.

"Really?" He asked skeptically.

"Yes, really." She affirmed. The two finished their breakfast before climbing into Haley's car and mading the journey to the studio. She parked the car in the parking lot and turned off the ignition. She didn't get out right away, though. Julian looked over to her and noticed her gripping the steering wheel staring straight ahead. "You okay?" He asked.

"Uh huh." She mumbled almost inaudibly while not breaking out of her trance.

"Hales, it's okay if you're not ready to see him. It's okay to still be hurt and hold onto what happened. You don't have to face anything today. And you certainly don't have to face him today. I'm not going to think any less of you if you can't go through with this, okay. I understand what you're going through." He reassured her.

"Thanks, Julian. I really don't think I'm ready." She said finally looking at him.

"Okay. Well, I do have to get in there unfortunately. I'm probably just going to get a cab and head over to your apartment when I'm finished." He stated.

"I can come pick you up, Julian." She said.

"No. I don't know when we're going to get this thing wrapped up. I don't want you to have to come too late, and I don't want to have to make you wait. I can just as easily call for a cab." He said as she nodded at him. "Okay, goodbye, beautiful." He said before kissing her gently on her cheek and climbing out of the car.

Nathan watched out the window as the cab driver pulled into the parking lot of the studio. He decided to make a better effort today. He wanted to get this commercial wrapped up so he could go back home to New York. He decided to actually arrive on time-early in fact. He sent a text message to Clay telling him he was already at the studio and to take the limo himself when he woke up. He hailed a cab and rode the distance. He paid his fair and climbed out of the cab just as he noticed another car pulling into the parking lot from the distance. He squinted and realized it was Julian. Not only Julian, but Haley as well. He would recognize her face from a million miles away. He hadn't seen her in years-not personally that is. He's seen her on television and in magazines and in pictures from Lucas but not in person. He watched the interraction between Julian and Haley from afar. He continued watching the scene and found himself growing increasingly upset. He watched as Julian kissed her on her cheek. He kept his focus on Haley, but he noticed Julian climbing out of the car out of the corner of his eye. He watched until she pulled out of the parking lot and disappeared from his sight completely. It took him a few minutes before finally snapping back to reality. He sighed before hesitantly making his way into the building intent on getting this commercial wrapped up and leaving this city for good.

"Hey, Nathan. Wow, you're early." Julian commented taking a double-take at the watch around his wrist.

"Yeah, I just want to get out of L.A." Nathan scoffed feeling his defenses kicking in. Julian shook his head before walking away. "Go get ready, Nathan." He called in the distance. Nathan rolled his eyes before walking off in the opposite direction. As he was making his way into the dressing room, his obnoxiously loud ringtone sounded on his phone. "Hello."  
>He answered.<p>

"Are you really at the studio?" Clay asked in a disbelieving tone.

"Yeah, I am." Nathan responded curtly.

"Wow, you must be more ready to get back to New York than I thought." Clay stated.

"Is there something you wanted, Clay?" Nathan asked annoyed.

"Chill, Nate. Damn, I really do need to get you back home. I was just calling to tell you that I was on my way in and wanted to know if you wanted me to bring you anything." Clay answered.

"No, I'm fine. Thanks, though, Clay." Nathan responded in a calmer tone.

"Okay. See ya in a few minutes." Clay said before hanging up the phone.

* * *

><p>"Don't go breaking my heart. I won't go breaking your heart. Don't go breaking my heart. Nobody told us. Cause nobody showed us. The hour is up to us babe. Oh, I think we can make it." Haley sang loudly in her car before a buzzing vibrated between her legs. She quickly shut off the radio and picked up her cell phone located on the seat instantly smiling when she saw who it was. "Hey, big brother. What's up?" She greeted.<p>

"Hey, Hales. Nothing much. What are you up to?" Lucas asked.

"Nothing much. I just dropped Julian off at work, and now, I'm heading back to my apartment where I am going to be bored to death." She answered.

"Sorry, Hales. I wish I could just come by for a visit. You know, you could always come back home." He said.

"That's not my home anymore, Lucas." She said.

"Haley, just..."

"Stop it." She interrupted sternly but calmly. "Look, I have my reasons for not going back there. I miss you, Luke. I miss you everyday. I miss seeing you and hanging out with you. I miss it all. But I can't go back there. Tree Hill is not my home anymore. L.A. is my home. And you are my home. But not Tree Hill." She continued.

"I understand that, Hales. I really do. I just don't understand why you can't even visit. If it's because of Nathan, he's not even here anymore. He lives in New York, and you know that." He countered.

"Contrary to what you think, this doesn't have to do with Nathan. He hasn't been a part of my life for five years, and he will never be again. My life does not revolve around him." She said angrily.

"Whatever, Hales." He asked. Sometimes his sister drove him crazy. Sometimes he truly didn't understand her or her decisions. He swore she needed to come with an instructions manual. "How's work?" He asked changing the subject.

"It's great. We are in the middle of printing next month's issue. I'm pretty excited about it. And I have a ton of ideas for the next issue." She answered excitedly.

"Still burying yourself in work." He mumbled in irritation.

"What did you just say?" She bit out defensively. She was growing tired of her brother's attitude. Why couldn't he just understand that she couldn't go back to Tree Hill? That's where her parents died. That's where Nathan broke her heart. And that's where her best friend started ignoring her. Tree Hill wasn't her home. And if Lucas didn't still live there, she wouldn't even give it a second thought. "You know what, Luke. You're really starting to piss me off. You know why I can't go back there. I miss you, and I'm sorry I can't visit you. But I can't go back. And I would think you would understand that. Why don't you actually start being my supportive big brother." She ranted off angrily.

"I'm sorry, okay. You're right. I'm sorry. I just really miss you. And I hate not being able to see my baby sister everyday."  
>He said.<p>

"I know. I miss you, too. I love you, Luke. And please believe me when I say that if I could, I would move back there or at the very least visit." She said.

"I know." He said quietly in understanding. So, how's Julian doing?" He asked hoping for a turn in their conversation.

"He's great. He's shooting a commercial right now." She answered.

"Oh really. When's his next movie going to happen?" He asked.

"When's your next book going to happen?" She countered jokingly.

"Fair enough." He laughed. "But really, is he working on another movie soon? I really enjoyed his last one." He said seriously.

"He has actually been working on a screenplay. Well, he and Alex." She answered.

"Alex? As in your roomate, Alex?" He asked in disbelief.

"Yeah. She's actually a really brilliant writer. She's been working on it for months and finally found the courage to ask Julian to check it out. He read it, wrote some notes, and told her to work on it some more. He said it had great potential and would love to make it into something more. He's afraid of not being able to get enough funding for the project, though." She said.

"What about his dad? He's a big time producer. Can't he get funding from him?" He asked.

"He doesn't want to go to his dad. He wants to prove he can do it on his own. He's so brilliant and so driven. I know he can do it. Sometimes, he just gets so hard on himself." She said.

"Sounds like someone else I know." He commented.

"I know, I know." She laughed. "Anyway, how's Peyton doing?" She asked.

"She's really good. Tric is doing better than ever. She's even booked a couple more bands for her label." He answered.

"That's awesome!" She gushed. "So, how is your writing coming along?" She asked.

"Slow, sluggish, and plotting." He said.

"That bad, huh." She laughed.

"No, I'm just in a little bit of a slump right now. I know exactly where I want the book to go. I'm just having trouble with putting it into place. Hey, off topic, but I'm going to be coming to L.A. in a couple of months." He said.

"What? Are you serious, Luke? That is awesome! How long are you going to stay?" She asked hardly containing her excitement.

"Well, it will probably be for just the weekend. I was thinking about coming the weekend of June fourth. It's a Friday, and I was going to stay until Sunday." He answered.

"Oh, I'm so excited! Is Peyton going to come, too?" She asked.

"No, she has to stay home. She wanted to see you, but I kind of need to talk to you about something. And I wanted to do it with just the two of us." He said.

"About what?" She asked confused.

"Sorry, Hales, but I want to tell you in person. So, you'll just have to wait until June." He said.

"That's like two months away, Luke. That's so long. I want to know now." She complained.

"I know, and I'm sorry. But I really have to tell you this in person. You can wait until then. Are you sure you're okay with me staying with you for the weekend? What about Alex and Millie? I could always stay with Julian if he's okay with it." He said.

"Don't worry about it. Of course, you can stay with me. Millie and Alex won't mind. Alex isn't here most of the time. She's always away for work. And you know they love you. And if you weren't completely in love with Peyton, Alex would have probably made her move by now." She said as they both laughed. "But you can stay with Julian if you want. You know he won't mind at all. It's just a few blocks away from my apartment. And I practically live there anyway. Do you want me to tell him you'll be staying there." She asked.

"Sure. It doesn't matter to me where I stay, just as long as I get to hang out with my favorite sister." He stated.

"I'm your only sister. How about we just plan on staying with Julian?" She suggested.

"Okay, whatever works. It makes no difference to me. Hey, Peyton's calling me. I'll call you later, okay." He said.

"Okay, I'll talk to you later. Love you, Luke." She said.

"Love you, too, Hales. Bye." He said before hanging up the phone. Haley pushed end on her cell phone and placed it back on the seat in between her legs. She turned her radio back on and began silently signing along with the song. She was so excited to see her brother. She missed him so much. She truly wished she could go back to Tree Hill and visit him. But she can't. It's too much to handle and deal with. She wasn't ready to face her past, and she didn't want to. She wanted to move on and forget everything that happened. But no matter what happened in her life, she always found herself somehow getting reminded of it.

_Haley leaned over the table and washed the surface off. The cafe was deserted with everyone away for fourth of July week__end. All of her friends were away at the lakes. Lucas and Peyton had to go to UNC for the weekend. Peyton had some event concert she was coordinating on campus and had to stay there. Lucas didn't want to be away from her and decided to stay on campus as well. Their parents went to visit some friends in Florida for the weekend. She could have went with them, but she wanted to stick around town. She would be leaving for Stanford in a little more than a month and wanted to stay in Tree Hill as long as she could. As excited as she was for college, she was going to miss home. She was going to miss her parents and Lucas. She was going to miss it all. Her thoughts broke when she heard the door to the cafe chime. She looked up and was surprised to see Brooke walking through the door. "Hey, Brooke. What are you doing here?" She asked surprised at seeing her best friend. Well, ex-best friend._

_"You're still open, aren't you? I just wanted to pick up something to go. Besides, it's my mom's place. I can come here any__time I'd like." Brooke snipped._

_"I just...I just thought you were away for the weekend. You always go up to the lakes with your family for the fourth." Haley stated._

_"Well, things change." Brooke said._

_"Yeah, things change." Haley agreed solemnly. An uncomfortable silence stumbled upon the two girls as they avoided eye contact not knowing what to say to one another. "What can I get you, Brooke?" Haley finally asked._

_"I just want a salad and a diet coke." She answered. "With lig..."_

_"With light italian dressing. I know." Haley interrupted her. "I still remember. We used to be friends. Do you remember?" __She bit out harshly before disappearing into the back. Brooke watched her ex-best friend walk away sadly. Of course, she remembered. They have been inseparable since kindergarten. That's twelve years of friendship. She wanted to talk to her and tell her how much she missed her. But she couldn't. Things were complicated. Haley may be her best friend, but Nathan was her brother. She had to do what was right for him. And right now, that meant staying away from Haley. She knew she shouldn't have even come here tonight. But she had to. She was leaving for New York in a couple weeks, and she wanted to spend time with Haley-even if they weren't really together. She knew Haley was leaving for California in a month. Before long, there would be an entire country between them, and she knew the emotional distance was only going to increase greatly if not disapate completely._

_"Here you go." Haley said interrupting the brunette's thoughts while plopping the bag down on the counter. "Is there any__thing else you need?" She asked. Brooke looked up and noticed the red, puffiness of Haley's eyes. She knew she was crying and instantly felt horrible. "Is there anything else you need?" Haley repeated more forcefully catching Brooke off gaurd._

_"Oh, umm, no. I'll just get going." Brooke stammered placing some money on the counter and hastily taking off out the door. Haley stared at her friend's retreating form and couldn't stop the tears from falling. How did everything get so messed up? That one encounter right there made Haley forget all about her earlier thoughts. Now, she just wanted to get to California even sooner. She was beginning to realize how much she needed to get out of this town. She was determined now more than ever to go to California and forget about everything here._

* * *

><p>"All right, everyone, that's a wrap!" Julian exclaimed. He was never so happy to be finished with a job. He had to admit, though, that Nathan actually made an effort. He still had his same cocky, arrogant attitude, but he worked. Julian could tell Nathan was ready to be done with this commercial just as much as he was.<p>

"There, Nate. That wasn't so bad, was it." Clay said hitting his client on the shoulder. Nathan rolled his eyes and muttered "Whatever" under his breath. "Let's just get back to New York." Nathan bit out. He heard feet shuffling and looked up to see Julian making his way over to them.

"Hey, thanks for working so hard today, Nathan." Julian said.

"I was just doing my job. I want the money." Nathan responded with an edge. Julian let out a small laugh.

"Well, anyway, thanks. You did great work. Now, you can get back to New York." Julian said as Nathan nodded his head slightly. "I'll see you guys later. Nice meeting you both." He said.

"Nice meeting you, Julian." Clay said stretching out his hand which Julian graciously accepted. After that, Julian offered his hand out to Nathan challenging him. Nathan glared at him before turning and walking away abruptly. Julian just shook his head and laughed. "Sorry about him." Clay apologized.

"Hey, whatever. You can't win them all. I'll see ya." Julian responded and watched as Clay nodded and headed off in the same direction as Nathan. Clay climbed into the waiting limo and got situated while the limo pulled out of the studio parking lot. "I already have your stuff packed in the trunk. The flight is booked, and we're heading to the airport right now. You ready to get back to New York?" He asked.

"Yup." Nathan muttered half-heartedly. "Hey, what time is our flight?" He asked after a second.

"In like four hours. I figured we could get some food in the airport. Why?" Clay asked.

"I was just thinking of...you know what, nevermind. Let's just get to the airport. I'm starving, and I want to get home." Nathan dismissed turning his attention to the window. Clay watched his friend confused before shaking off his thoughts and turned his head to the window on his side. Nathan stared at the cars passing by. For a split second, he almost let his gaurd down. He almost went to see her. He couldn't. She was no longer a part of his life no matter how much he wanted her to be. They now lead completely new and different lives.

* * *

><p>It was a little passed nine o'clock at night when Julian showed up on the doorstep to Haley's apartment. He pulled out his keys and placed the spare key Haley gave to him into the lock. He walked in and noticed all of the lights out. He knew Millie would be in bed by now considering she had to wake up at four the next morning. He tiptoed towards Haley's bedroom and saw the light reflecting from under the door. He opened the door and found her sprawled out along her bed with a bunch of papers in front of her. He tiptoed over and jumped on the bed beside her causing her to let out a small scream while placing her hand over her rapidly beating heart. "God! What the hell, Julian?" She bit out.<p>

"Sorry, I couldn't resist." He commented.

"Don't worry. You'll get yours, Julian Baker." She laughed. "So, how was your day? Did you get the commercial wrapped up?" She asked.

"Yes, I did." He answered.

"How was Nathan today?" She asked hesitantly.

"He was good. A lot better than yesterday. I think he was just as ready as I was to get this commercial shot." He said.

"That's good. So, he's gone then? He's on his way back to New York?" She asked quietly.

"I'm assuming. Clay told me they were heading to the airport after we wrapped up. You can breath now, Hales." He said and watched as she let out a sigh of relief. "Feel better?" He asked.

"Knowing Nathan's going back to where he belongs-yes." She said. "Oh, I do have some really good news." She said after a couple of seconds. Julian looked at her and waited for her to continue. "Lucas is coming for a visit." She revealed in excitement.

"When?" He asked.

"The weekend of June fourth. He's going to stay until Sunday. I'm so excited. I haven't seen him in a few months." She said.

"Is he going to stay with me?" He asked while kicking off his shoes.

"Probably. You don't care, do you?" She asked.

"Of course, not. Is Peyton coming, as well?" He asked.

"No. Lucas told me that he has something he needs to talk to me about. The jerk wouldn't tell me what it was about, though. He said he had to tell me in person and in private. He knows I'm not a patient person. And he knows I absolutely hate surprises. He's a jackass for doing this to me." She ranted.

"Oh, Hales. Deal with it. I'm sure it's nothing bad." He reassured.

"I know. I don't think it is. But it does have to be something pretty important. I mean, he's flying all the way out here just to tell me this in person. Gosh, I can't wait to see him!" She said.

"You know, you could see him more often if you would actually go back to Tree Hill and visit once in awhile." He said carefully knowing what a sore subject this was.

"Julian, you know I can't." She said softly.

"I know, Hales. I know it's hard. But you haven't been back there since your parents funeral. You can't always expect Lucas to come here." He said.

"I know. I hate this, Julian. I hate how he's always the one having to come here. It's not fair. I know this. I just, I don't want to go back there. That place holds too many memories." She said.

"Hales, you're going to hold onto the memories no matter where you are. Nobody is asking you to move back home. But you need to find the strength to at the very least visit. You owe it to Lucas to meet him halfway here." He said as she remained quiet. He knew she knew he was right. He could see the emotions playing across her face. "I know this is hard for you to talk about. I just want you to know that whenever you're ready to go back, I'm here for you. I'll drop everything in a heartbeat and go back with you. Okay?" He said.

"Thanks, Julian." She said quietly. She loved how well he understood her. She loved how supportive he is and has been through everything. He gets her in a way that nobody else does-not even Lucas. She loves Lucas and knows he wants the best for her, but she also knows that he doesn't completely understand her or her decisions at times. Julian is the only person who completely understands her. There was only one other person who understood her in the same way, and he was long gone out of her life.

"You're welcome, Hales." He replied. He stood up from the bed and took off his jeans and shirt leaving him in nothing but his boxers and a white t-shirt. Haley gathered all of her papers together and placed them on her nightstand underneath her alarm clock before climbing under the blankets. Julian was quick to follow. He gave her a soft kiss on her cheek as they both adjusted themselves under the blankets. "I'm so exhausted. Your ex-boyfriend sure knows how to tire a man out." He said.

"That sounds wrong on so many levels." She said as they both laughed. "Get some sleep." She continued while lightly shoving him before turning onto her side with her back facing him.

"Night, Hales." He said.

"Night, Julian." She returned as they drifted off into a peaceful slumber.

* * *

><p><em>Nathan stood in the doorway of his girlfriend's bedroom and smiled as he watched her lying in bed with headphones on singing along with the music playing on her ipod. He walked further in until he was standing at the foot of the bed. He leaned forward and placed his hands on her waist causing her to jump. "Gosh, Nathan, are you trying to give me a heart attack?" She asked taking the headphones out of her ear and placing them on the bed.<em>

_"Sorry." He smiled as he climbed onto the bed next to her leaning in and giving her a chaste kiss on the lips. He was about to pull away when she cupped his face in her cheeks holding him to her as she deepened their kiss. Their tongues brushed against one another. He wrapped his arms around her waist and manuevered them down onto the bed with him hovering above her. Nathan didn't know he could ever feel this way about someone. He was never one to believe in love-that was until he fell in love with Haley. He was utterly and completely wrapped up in everything about her. He got lost in the warmth of her embrace for just a few minutes longer before he forced himself to pull away from her._

_"Hi." She said quietly staring up into his eyes. He laughed at the blush that covered her face which made her so incredibly sexy._

_"Hi." He returned just as quietly._

_"Not that I'm complaining, but what are you doing here?" She asked._

_"I just had to get out of my house. I got home from a rough day of practice just to face the 'encouraging' words that my father had to share with me." He sighed._

_"I'm sorry, Nathan." She said sympathetically._

_"Gosh, Hales, I don't know what else he wants from me. I work so hard. I push myself and push myself. I kill myself for him, and it never makes a difference." He said._

_"He loves you, Nathan. I know he pushes you, but it's only because he wants the best for you." She tried to reason._

_"No. He's using me to fix his mistakes. He couldn't make it into the NBA, so he's using me to relive his dreams." He countered. He backed further away and fell flat on his back against her bed. She couldn't help but let out a sigh. She knew he was beginning to shut down. He always got like this when dealing with his dad. She moved to sit up on her bed and moved her legs so she was sitting indian style facing him. She waited for him to say something-anything, but he didn't. __"Are you excited for your game tomorrow?" She asked._

_"Oh, yeah, completely." He deadpanned. Silence crept into the room. "Did I tell you a scout from Duke is going to be at the game tomorrow?" He asked after a couple minutes._

_"No, that's great, Nathan. Are you ready to play your heart out?" She asked._

_"Yeah. I just wish my dad wasn't going to be there. I can't concentrate when he's there. This is my shot to prove to the coaches at Duke that I deserve to be there. I just don't want to mess anything up. I don't want to ruin my chance." He said._

_"Nathan, you control yourself-not Dan. Don't let him beat you. You're better than him. And you'll make it because it's what you want. I mean, take your father out of the picture." She said._

_"I wish." He mumbled under his breath. Haley ignored his comment and continued on. "Forget your dad. Do you want to play basketball? Do you want to go to Duke? And do you want to play in the NBA?" She asked._

_"Yeah, I do." He answered._

_"Then, this is your dream. Go out there and show these guys that they want you. Your dad has nothing to do with this. It's your future." She encouraged._

_"Thanks, Hales." He said taking her hand and wrapping his around it. "I love you. You're going to be there tomorrow night, right?" He asked._

_"Of course." She replied._

_"Good. I need you there." He said._

_"I'll always be there for you, Nathan. I love you, too." She declared before moving to lay next to him. She cuddled into his side as he wrapped his arm tightly around her placing a gentle kiss on her forehead. "What about you? What's your dream, __Haley James?" He asked._

_"Oh, you mean besides you." She joked causing him to laugh. "I don't know, actually. I'm thinking something involving literature. I just don't know what yet. But hey, unlike you, I have two years before I have to start making a decision." She said._

_"Oh, rub it in, Hales." He laughed flipping over and placing his hands on her sides boxing her in. "You're funny. My girl__friend's a funny girl." He said before tickling her sides causing her to laugh. She squirmed underneath him pleading for him to stop. His attack on her continued for a few minutes before a voice sounded. They turned their heads and saw Lucas standing in the doorway with an annoyed expression on his face._

_"Hey, would you two please keep it down in here? Peyton and I are trying to study for a midterm." He said._

_"Sorry, Luke." Haley said sheepishly. She looked above her and noticed the smirk playing across Nathan's face as he was looking at her brother. She rolled her eyes and smacked him on his chest. He looked to her abruptly. "What?" He mouthed smugly. She shook her head before turning back towards Lucas. "We're sorry, Luke." She said again._

_"Whatever. Just keep it down." Lucas shot out before leaving the room shutting the door behind him._

_"Ouch!" Nathan exclaimed rubbing his shoulder where Haley had hit him. "What was that for?" He asked._

_"That was for being you. Why do you have to act like that in front of him?" She said._

_"Come on, studying? He and Peyton are not in that room studying for a midterm. Your parents are gone, and they are getting it on." He laughed._

_"First off, eww to the mental image. And secondly, even so, you still don't need to act like that in front of him." She countered._

_"Oh, come on, Hales. He's used to it by now. We've been together for almost two years now. He's walked in on us doing a lot more than just me tickling you." He countered._

_"I know, but still." She said._

_"Aww, is my baby uncomfortable? Does this mean I can't kiss you in front of him anymore?" He asked leaning dangerously close to her face. "Do you not want me to kiss you anymore in front of him, Hales?" He asked hovering right over her lips._

_"Nathan." She breathed out. He smirked before capturing her lips in a heated kiss. The two got lost in their kiss for a couple minutes before breaking apart. "I should get home. My dad warned me not to be home too late. He says I have to get a good nights rest and be ready for that scout tomorrow. He said I don't need you to be distracting me like you always do." He said._

_"Gosh, I just love your dad." She joked as they stood up from her bed and headed towards her door. "Nathan, don't worry about him. Just think about tomorrow and how great YOU are going to play for those scouts." She said._

_"I'll try. Thanks, Hales. See you tomorrow. Do you still want me to pick you up for school?" He asked._

_"Sure. Fine by me." She said leaning up on her tiptoes into his embrace. Nathan bent down slightly to meet her for a kiss. __They shared a sweet, chaste kiss before he opened the door and walked out. "Remember what I said, Nathan. You're not Dan." She said._

_"I know. I will never be like my father." He declared before giving her a small smile and disappearing down the stairs._

"Nate. Hey, Nate." Clay said nudging his friend on the shoulder.

"What?" Nathan mumbled groggily.

"We're here." Clay answered. "We're back in New York." He clearified. He and Nathan pulled their bags down from the above compartment and made their way down the aisle and out of the plane. They stepped foot into JFK Airport and made their way to baggage claim and picked up the rest of their belongings. They headed outside and climbed into an awaiting cab. "Home sweet home." Nathan said just as the driver pulled out of the airport parking lot.

**Okay, so there is chapter two. Again, I would just like to point out that this is a Naley story. The other couples won't really be featured heavily. They're basically only in this story to support Naley. Julian and Haley are NOT a couple. They are best friends who occasionally turn to each other sexually for comfort and fun. But they are best friends. Anyway, let me know what you guys think.**


	4. Chapter 4

Nathan walked the streets of New York City. He has had a lot on his mind since arriving back home. He needed to think and attempt to clear his head. He couldn't stop thinking about her. He dreamt about her everytime he closed his eyes. Granted, he's only slept a couple times since being back, but still. He hasn't had a dream about her in years. He stopped dreaming about her when he was drafted into the NBA. He knew it was because of his trip to L.A. Seeing her in person has really thrown him for a loop. He keeps struggling with wanting to see her. He keeps going back and forth as to whether he should have went to visit her before he and Clay's plane left. He was completely lost in his thoughts that before for he knew it, he was standing in front of his destination.

"Nathan!" Brooke exclaimed when she saw her big brother walking through the doors of her store. She rushed over to him and about tackled him in a hug.

"Hey, Brooke. Nice seeing you, too." He laughed embracing his sister's hug.

"How was the commercial?" She asked pulling away allowing him to breathe.

"Okay." He answered vaguely while walking over and taking a seat on one of the designer loveseats she had placed all around the store. She was quick to follow.

"Okay? That's all you have to say-okay?" She said incredulously. She watched him carefully and knew there was something plaguing him. "What's going on, Nate?" She asked.

"As you know, the commercial was shot in L.A." He began as she nodded. "Well, you also know that a certain someone lives in L.A. now." He said. She took a couple seconds before her whole face went wide, and she let out a dramatic sigh. Nathan rolled his eyes. His sister was always a drama queen, and she always reacted to things as if it were life or death.

"Oh my gosh! Did you see her?" She asked.

"Kind of, sort of." He said as she waited for him to elaborate. "I saw her from a distance in the studio parking lot." He continued.

"Did she look any different? I mean, I've seen her on tv and magazines and stuff, and she looked the same. But you never know with technology these days. How did she look?" She asked carefully.

"Just as beautiful as ever." He answered quietly. Brooke watched the expression on his face and couldn't help but feel for her him. She knew he was still in love with Haley. All of the girls he's dated since her never even had a chance. There was only one girl who would capture and forever hold her brother's heart. She placed her arm around his shoulder in a comforting embrace. "I'm sorry, Nathan." She said sympathetically.

"Do you ever think about her, Brooke?" He asked.

"All of the time. I miss her a lot." She answered.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry that you lost your friendship with her because of me." He said.

"Nathan, I don't blame you. It's not your fault. You are my brother, and I love you. I hated seeing you in so much pain. It would have devastated you if I kept bringing her around the house and around you. I couldn't do that to you." She said.

"Thank you, Brooke. I hope you know that it meant a lot to me." He said.

"I know. So, you didn't go talk to her or anything?" She asked.

"No. She was, umm, she was kind of with someone else." He stammered out quietly.

"Who?" She asked.

"Julian." He answered.

"Oh, I see." She said quietly in understanding. "Why were they at the studio?" She asked confused after a couple of seconds.

"Oh, this is the really great part. Julian was the director shooting the commercial." He revealed with a small laugh.

"Wow-small world." She said. "I'm sorry you had to see that." She said.

"He makes her happy. She's happy, and I want that. That's all that matters, right?" he said.

"And what will it take to make you happy?" She questioned.

"I gave up my happiness five years ago." He stated sadly. "I'm sorry, Brooke, but I have to get going. I only stopped by to see you and let you know I made it back home safely. I have to get to practice, though. I don't want to be slapped with another thousand dollar fine. See you later, Brooke." He said giving his sister a quick kiss on the cheek and rushing out of the store before Brooke even had a chance to say anything. "Oh, Nathan, what am I going to do with you?" She said aloud.

_Brooke angrily marched up the stairs in her house. She was furious. She just spent the passed two hours trying to console her best friend who has been doing nothing but crying. Today was the day of their high school graduation. This was supposed to be one of the happiest days of their lives. This was the day their future was supposed to begin. At those thoughts, she only grew even angrier. She picked up her pace until finally she was standing outside his door. He arrived home from Duke just the day before. She could tell something was wrong with him. He was in a horrible mood and went straight up to his room slamming the door behind him. She shook her thoughts and turned the doorknob and stalked into the bedroom. Sure enough, he was laying in bed with his eyes closed listening to his ipod. She wrapped her hands around the wire of his headphones and yanked them out of his ears. "What the hell is wrong with you, Brooke?" He bit out._

_"Me? No, I don't think so. What the hell is wrong with you, Nathan? I just spent the passed two hours with Haley as she cried more than I have ever seen. How could you do this to her? I thought you loved her. And you freakin break up with her today of all days! What the hell?" She spat out furiously. She waited for her brother to say something, but instead he just continued laying on his bed. He said nothing. He just stared straight ahead up at his ceiling. "Aren't you going to say anything?" She asked._

_"Just go, Brooke." He mumbled tiredly._

_"No! I want to know what is wrong with you. You're an asshole, and I can't believe you're my brother. My brother would never do something like this!" She exclaimed._

_"Seriously, Brooke, leave." He warned._

_"No, not until you tell me why you found it necessary to break my best friend's heart. You know, Haley, right. The girl you claimed to be so in love with." She bit out sarcastically._

_"Get out!" He yelled sitting up on his bed. It was then that Brooke noticed his eyes were red and puffy. He had tear stains along his cheek. She found herself calming down as her anger was replaced with sympathy and concern. She cautiously walked closer to his bed and took a seat on the edge. "Are you okay?" She asked quietly._

_"I'm fine." He answered unconvincingly._

_"What happened, Nathan? When I talked to you a month ago, you couldn't stop talking about how much you love Haley. You kept talking about the future you guys were going to share together. Why did you break up with her?" She asked calmly._

_"I had to." He said vaguely._

_"Why?" She asked. He didn't say anything in response, though. "Do you not love her anymore?" She asked._

_"No, of course, not. I love her so much." He said._

_"Then, why?" She prodded._

_"It doesn't matter. It's just better this way." He said. Silence crept into the room as Brooke watched her brother carefully. __She noticed a few more tears stroll down his cheek. She quickly wrapped her arms around him. He leaned into her as he started crying even harder._

_Later than night, Nathan had to see her. He had to make sure she was okay. He pulled into her driveway and noticed her parent's car gone. It was then that he remembered they were going to Murtle Beach. Jimmy, Lydia, Lucas, and Haley were all supposed to be going for a small family vacation before both Lucas and Haley left for college. He briefly wondered if Haley was gone, as well. He noticed her parent's car and Lucas's car both missing from the driveway. Haley's was still sitt__ing there, though. He turned off his ignition and walked up to her house. He quietly opened the door and was instantly met with total darkness. He walked up the stairs and down the hall until finding her bedroom. He softly opened her door. He walked in and saw her asleep on her bed facing the opposite direction of the door. He noticed the dozens of tissues scattered all over her floor and bed. Her blankets were resting at her waist. She was bundled in his Duke sweatshirt with the hood on around her head. He tiptoed as quietly as he could closer to the bed and hovered over her until he finally caught sight of her face. The sight broke his heart. She had tear stains all over her cheeks, and her whole face was red. He wanted to crawl into that bed and wrap his arms around her to comfort her-to comfort himself as well. He wanted to tell her he was sorry and that he loved her, but he couldn't. He quickly turned on his heel and rushed out of there as quietly as he could._

* * *

><p>"All right, everyone, listen up!" Haley yelled. All of her employees turned their attention to her as she began their monthly meeting. "Okay, so I have the ratings for last months issue, and we are still holding onto that number one spot I am very happy to announce." She announced as the room erupted with cheers. "You guys all came up with some fantastic ideas for the issue. What about this month? Let's talk about what you have." She said. They all sat there for the next half hour discussing ideas before Haley ended the meeting. She walked into her office and took a seat at her desk and began typing on her computer. "Miss James?" A voice sounded. She looked up and saw her assistant standing in her doorway. "Megan, how many times do I have to tell you to call me Haley." She laughed. Haley absolutely adored Megan. The girl was actually only seventeen years in age and still in high school. She was fascinated with magazines and style and gossip and all of that type of stuff. The girl was very bright and was going to be heading to Princeton once her senior year was complete. Haley actually met her because of Lucas. He was in town for a book signing. Haley spent the entire day with him right by his side. Megan came to the book signing, and they met each other. Megan gushed about Haley's magazine and the job. Haley learned she was in a work study program at school, but it was difficult finding an internship within her desired career. Haley instantly felt as if there was something special about the girl and wanted to help her out. She offered her the job of being her personal assistant. She was an amazing assistant, and Haley knew how tough it was going to be to lose her once next fall hit.<p>

"Sorry, Haley. I have your mocha double latte." Megan said handing the coffee over to her boss.

"Thank you." Haley responded in gratitude.

"Julian left you a message. He said that he and Alex are going to be working on her screenplay tonight over at his place and to come over whenever you get the chance." Megan said.

"Okay, thanks." Haley said.

"And also, Amber had another idea for July's issue. There's going to be a fashion show here in L.A. at the end of June. She said it's a designer we've never featured in the magazine before." Megan added.

"Oh, really? Who is it?" Haley inquired.

"Brooke Scott." Megan revealed and didn't notice the look on Haley's face. "I'm quite surprised we have never featured her before. She's like the hottest designer right now. Her Clothes Over Bros line is fantastic. You have heard about it, haven't you?" Megan asked.

"Yeah, I've heard of it." Haley answered quietly.

"So, do you want me to give Amber the go-ahead on writing the article?" Megan asked not understanding the many emotions passing through her boss's head at the moment.

"Yeah, that...that's great." Haley replied as Megan nodded her head. "Is there anything else?" Haley asked.

"Nope, that's all. I'll let you get back to work." Megan answered before vacating the office. Haley stared towards the door almost paralyzed. Of course, she knew who Brooke Scott was. She's known her since they were in kindergarten. They were inseparable for thirteen years. They were best friends. They were sisters in everyway but blood. And they thought they would be sisters-in-law one day.

_"Knock, knock." Haley said tapping lightly on the door of her best friend's bedroom. Brooke looked up and was pleasantly surprised at seeing her friend._

_"Hey, Hales. What are you doing here?" Brooke asked scooting over so Haley could take a seat on the bed next to her._

_"I kind of need to talk to you about something." Haley said quietly._

_"What's wrong?" Brooke asked immediately sensing the tone in her friend's voice. Haley didn't say anything. She couldn't even look at Brooke. She looked down to where her fingers were fidgeting in her lap. "Haley, you know you can tell me anything. What's going on?" Brooke asked placing her hand over Haley's._

_"I have to tell you something, but I hope you're okay with it. I don't want anything to come between us. You're my best friend, and you mean so much to me. I hope you understand that. I love you, and I..."_

_"Haley, tell me what's going on." Brooke interrupted her sternly but softly._

_"It's, umm, it's about Nathan. Nathan and me." Haley said quietly and looked back down to their joined hands. Brooke got a knowing smile on her face. It took everything out of her not to say something. She knew this day would come._

_"What about you two?" She asked putting on a straight face._

_"Well, we, umm...we're sort of...we're, umm..."_

_"Oh gosh, you're finally together, right?" Brooke finished not being able to stop herself anymore. She looked up and saw the surprised look on her friend's face. "Oh, don't look so surprised. You two have had a thing for each other for years." Brooke said as Haley blushed. "So, my brother finally found the courage to do something about it? Or was it you?" She continued raising one of her eyebrows._

_"No, it...it was him." Haley said with a small smile._

_"Oh, give me details!" Brooke exclaimed._

_"Brooke, that's your brother." Haley said._

_"Oh, yeah, you're right. Scratch that-don't give me details. So, what did happen? I mean, just the basics-no details." Brooke asked._

_"Well, the other day, we were at my house. I was helping him study for his midterms. We sort of started talking about the prom." Haley began._

_"The prom? The prom's like four months from now." Brooke said confused._

_"I know, but he told me that Teresa girl in his grade..."_

_"Oh, you mean the slutty cheerleader who keeps trying to get into my brother's pants." Brooke corrected in disgust._

_"Yes, her." Haley laughed. "Well, he told me that she had already started in on him about the prom. He said she keeps bringing it up around him hinting to ask her to go. He told me that she keeps making suggestive remarks about what she will do to him that night if they go together. He said that she's like the last person he wants to go with and doesn't know how to give her the hint that it's never going to happen. Anyway, we started talking more about prom itself. I told him that I was excited for when I was finally going to be able to go considering it's a junior/senior dance, and you had to be asked if you were any younger. He was telling me this was his first dance, and he wanted it to be special and to go with someone he truly cared about. And then, he asked me to go." Haley explained._

_"Aww, that's so sweet! Who knew my brother could be so sweet?" Brooke gushed._

_"Yeah. So, he asked me. I said yes. And then, you know me-always analyzing every__thing. I asked him why he asked me. That's when he told me how he felt about me. And that's when I told him I felt the same way. And that's when we shared our first kiss-or kisses. And now, here we are." Haley said blushing._

_"This is so exciting! We're going to be sisters-in-law!" Brooke exclaimed._

_"Okay, Brooke, I think you're getting a little ahead of yourself. Nobody is getting married here. Nathan is only a junior, __and we are only freshmen. We're still in high school. We're just dating." Haley laughed._

_"Well, duh. I don't mean now, but in a few years-you two are going to get married." Brooke said with certainty._

_"Whatever, Brooke. We just started..."_

_"Oh, Haley, humor me." Brooke interrupted._

_"Fine. Yes, we are going to get married, and you and I are going to be sisters-in-law!" Haley exclaimed dramatically as Brooke squeeled and threw her arms around her best friend. "So, I'm guessing that you are okay with all of this." Haley laughed._

_"Of course. I knew it would happen eventually. I was just waiting for one of you to finally come to your senses. And speaking of my brother, where is he?" Brooke asked._

_"He's actually over at my house talking to Lucas. Do you think he'll be okay with this? I'm afraid he might try to kill Nathan or something." Haley said._

_"Lucas will be fine. Hales, he was waiting for this day to finally come as well. I swear, everyone saw it except for you and my idiot of a brother. You know, for a smart girl, you're kind of naive." Brooke said and laughed when Haley lightly shoved her._

* * *

><p>Nathan walked into his apartment exhausted. He had quite the workout at pratice today, but it was a good workout. He's had a few days off for this commercial and was out of shape. It was amazing what missing four days of practice did to him. He grabbed a bottle of water out of his refrigerater and gulped half of it down in one drink. He walked over to his answering machine and saw a new message. He pushed play and waited for the message to play.<p>

_"Nate, it's Clay. Hey, there's a bunch of us going out to Club New York. It's ladies night, so you know what that means-a lot of hot, single women."_ Nathan couldn't help but laugh at his friend. _"And I know what you're going to say. 'I'm tired, Clay. I just got back from a four day roadtrip'-technically. Whatever you want to call it. You're going, man. You need to kick back, relax, and have a damn fine time. And when's the last time you got some? So, you're going. We're all meeting at the club at ten. See ya later."_

Nathan sighed and deleted the message. He really wasn't in the mood to go out anywhere tonight. He wanted to just take a shower, eat, and rest in front of the television. But he also knew that Clay will probably show up at his apartment around nine to make sure he goes. He looked at the clock and saw if read five twenty-six. He kicked off his shoes and went straight to his bedroom to take a nap. He was exhausted and needed all the energy he could muster for tonight. He set his alarm for eight and quickly dozed off.

_"Nathan, what are we doing here?" Haley asked as they pulled up at his family's beach house._

_"We are spending the day here." He answered putting the car and park before jumping out to open the passenger side door and waited for Haley to jump out._

_"Really? So, this is why I needed my swimsuit. What about your parents? Do they know we're here?" She asked._

_"As a matter of fact, they do." He responded as she looked at him skeptically. "I'm very serious, Hales. Why do you think my mom gave you a whole Saturday off." He said and watched as realization set in on her face. "See, I told you. Why do you always question everything I do?" He joked._

_"Do you really want me to answer that?" She countered._

_"No, don't." He said as they both laughed. "Come on. Let's go put our stuff down inside." He said taking ahold of her hand and leading her into the beach house._

_"I love it here!" Haley exclaimed once inside. "It's so peaceful and quiet." She added._

_"Yeah, it is. I love it here, too. That's why I figured it would be nice to come just the two of us. There's always someone else with us when we come here. Now, we can spend some time all alone." He said._

_"You're not trying to take advantage of me, are you Nathan Scott?" She joked._

_"Like that would ever happen. You're legs are closed so tightly together, nothing will ever come between them." He laughed trying to make a joke. He stopped laughing when he saw the look on Haley's face. Her smile immediately disintegrated as she dropped her bags and took off out the door. Nathan sighed to himself angrily before taking off out the door after her. He found her sitting on the sand looking out at the water. He cautiously took a seat next to her and noticed the tears falling down her cheeks. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that, Haley." He began._

_"Then, how did you mean it?" She snapped._

_"I was just joking. I didn't think you would take it so seriously." He tried to explain and waited for her to say something. She didn't. She just continued staring out at the water as a few more tears fell. "Haley, please, I really didn't mean anything by it." He said desperate for her to understand._

_"This isn't easy for me, Nathan." She said quietly._

_"What isn't?" He asked confused._

_"This. You and me." She said pointing between the two of them. "I know I'm not like other girls. I know how frustrated you are with me. And I know you wish I was more like the girls your age. I..."_

_"Stop it, Haley." He interrupted. "I love you. And there's no way I would want you to be anything like the girls in my grade. I love you because of your innocence. And I love you because sex actually means something to you." He said._

_"I know. But that still doesn't mean you aren't frustrated. It still doesn't mean you don't wish I would finally stop being so, so innocent and give it up already. I know you want to have sex." She said._

_"Haley, look at me." He urged with no success. "Haley, look at me." He demanded sternly but gently. This time, she did look at him. He moved his left hand up to the right side of her cheek and stroked it lovingly. "I'm not going to lie. I do want to have sex with you. I want to all of the time, because I love you. Not because I'm frustrated. I want to make love to you, Haley. You're not ready, and I understand that. I respect that. I would never force you into doing anything you aren't ready for. I will wait as long as I have to for you." He said._

_"Why? You could just as easily go to someone else who isn't such a prude. Someone who knows what they're doing. Someone who will be more than willing to help you work off any and all frustrations you have. Someone like Teresa." She said quietly._

_"Oh, you mean someone who will probably give me an STD of some kind." He countered. She couldn't help but let out a small chuckle at that. He smiled relieved to hear the sound of her laugh. "Haley, I don't think you're a prude. I just think that you aren't ready. And I'm okay with that. I love you. I'm willing to wait, because I don't want to be with anyone else but you. It does get hard sometimes, and I don't mean that literally-even though that's definitely true as you know." He said and laughed when she scoffed and playfully shoved him. "No, it is hard sometimes. It gets very hard, because all I want to do is just throw you down on the bed and show you how much I love you. I want to show you that it was very much worth the wait for both you and myself. But I understand. You're only a sophomore. In case you forgot, I was the same age when I lost my virginity. I understand why you aren't ready. Whenever you're ready, I will be, too." He said._

_"I love you, Nathan." She declared quietly. He smiled and captured her lips in a soft, sensual kiss. "I'm sorry I get so crazy sometimes. I just love you so much, and I don't want to be the one holding you back from anything." She mumbled against his lips._

_"You aren't. And I can deal with the crazy. Have you met my sister?" He said as they laughed. "I love you." He continued kissing her once more before breaking apart. "So, can we forget about everything from earlier and enjoy the rest of our day?" He asked._

_"Yes, definitely." She agreed. "What did you have in mind first?" She asked._

_"It's funny you should ask." He said mysteriously. She grew confused as he stood up and smirked down at her. She looked up at him questioningly and yelped as he bent down and swooped her up in his arms and raced out towards the water._

_"Nathan! Put me down! Don't you dare do what you are about to do!" She warned._

_"Why not? This is one of the reasons why I brought you out here." He smirked._

_"Nathan, please. This is the only set of clothes I brought. My bathing suit is on underneath. Put me down so I can take them off before they get all wet." She pleaded. She smiled as he turned around and slowly began walking out of the water. However, he stopped and smirked down at her. "You know-that's what a dryer is for." He declared before throwing them both into the water fully clothed._

_"You are so going to pay for that!" She exclaimed before jumping on him and dunking him in the water. It wasn't long before the two shed out of the rest of their clothes throwing them up onto the sand. They played around in the water for about an hour longer before finally deciding to head inside for something to eat. Once inside, Nathan ran to put their clothes in the dryer while Haley found something to cook. Five minutes later, Nathan walked into the kitchen and smiled as he saw Haley standing in front of the stove with her back turned towards him. He couldn't help but let his eyes wonder up and down the length of her body. How could he not? There she was, standing there in nothing but a bikini leaving little to the imagination. She wasn't stick thin like most of the girls his age. She was thin but had just the right amount of curves. He loved that about her. He loved that she wasn't like all of the other sickly thin girls who starved themselves, because they think that's what guys wanted. Not him. He wanted a girl exactly like Haley. He admired her body from afar for just awhile longer before inching his way closer to her. He wrapped his arms around her waist and placed a couple of kisses along her neck and smirked as her body shivered. "What are you making?" He asked._

_"Some cheese toasties." She answered._

_"Cheese toasties? What the heck are those?" He asked._

_"They're grilled cheese sandwiches." She answered as if he was an idiot for asking._

_"Where did you get cheese toasties from?" He asked._

_"I started saying that when I was little. Apparently, my mom asked me what I wanted for lunch one day, and I said, 'cheese toasties.' She asked me what those were and I said, 'the things with the cheese in the middle of bread.' We've been calling them cheese toasties ever since." She explained smiling at the memory._

_"Okay, then. Cheese toasties it is." He declared. "Here, I brought you these." He said handing her a t-shirt and a pair of his sweatpants. "It's kind of chilly in here. And I'm sure you'll be warmer in these rather than this little thing you like to call a bathing suit." He said fingering the string of her bikini before placing a sensual kiss on her shoulder._

_"Well, if it's a problem, I could always wear a tasteful one piece rather than this 'little thing'." She said._

_"Here's the deal. Whenever you're around me, you'll wear this. Whenever you're around anyone else, you'll wear that tasteful one piece." He said._

_"We'll see." She smirked at him. She backed out of his embrace and pulled the t-shirt over her head before pulling on his seatpants. She had to roll them at the waist a few times considering they were a bit too big for her. Once she had everything situation, she looked up to him. They stared at one another for a couple seconds before they started laughing. "I look ridiculous." She said._

_"Aww, no you don't. You actually look pretty damn sexy right now." He countered. She blushed while rolling her eyes. She handed him a plate and grabbed herself one before they went into the living room and got settled on the couch. "So, you want to watch a movie?" He asked._

_"Sure." She answered. The two agreed on a movie and once again settled on the couch. About an hour into the movie, Nathan noticed Haley shivering slightly. He stood up and left the room. He came back a minute or so later with a big blanket and a pillow. They both laid on their side facing the television with Nathan snuggled closely behind her. He pulled the blanket over them up until their necks. He wrapped his right arm tightly around her waist and pulled her further into him as they both felt themselves relaxing. He moved his hand just slightly under her shirt and began drawing patterns along her skin. She closed her eyes at the feeling of his ministrations. He leaned forward and started placing soft kisses along her neck. After a couple minutes, his soft kisses became more forceful as he began sucking on her skin determined to leave his mark. He heard the increase of her breathing and smirked against her neck. When he pulled away from her skin, she took the opportunity to turn so she was laying flat on her back and captured his lips in a passionate kiss. She felt his tongue run along her bottom lip and quickly opened her mouth and granted him access. Their tongues found one another and battled for dominance. Nathan moved further onto her body and groaned when Haley brushed up against his lower half. He slanted his head to the left slightly and cupped her cheek as his tongue expertly became familiar with every crevice of her mouth. She gripped the middle of his back and moved her leg and wrapped it tightly around his waist. After a few more minutes of heavy making out, Nathan pulled back slightly. "Maybe we should get going. It's getting late, and I don't want to give your parents a reason to start hating me." He said letting out a small laugh._

_"Yeah, you're probably right." She agreed. She knew what he was doing. He didn't want to push her into doing anything. He made sure to stop it before it ventured any further. She knew he knew that her parents wouldn't care if she was out all night. They trusted Nathan, and they trusted her. And as much as she wasn't ready to go home yet, she was grateful that he took the initiative and stopped them. He pushed himself off of her and off of the couch. He put out his hands to her and pulled her up and off the couch as well. "I'll go get your clothes from the dryer. I don't think your parents will like it if I bring you home wearing my clothes." He said._

_"No, I don't suppose they will." She laughed. He walked out of the room as Haley picked up their plates and took them into the kitchen. She washed the dishes and placed them back where they belonged before heading back into the living room to clean that area as well. Nathan returned shortly later handing her her clothes. "I'm just going to go..." She said pointing towards the bathroom._

_"Go right ahead." He said. Five minutes later, the two of them were ready to go. They climbed into his car and pulled out of the driveway of the beach house and began their journey to Haley's house. "This was fun." She said as they were driving._

_"Yeah, it was." He agreed._

_"I've officially decided that I love your beach house." She commented smiling over at him._

_"I love it, too." He said. It wasn't long before they arrived in her driveway. They shared a few more kisses and a couple of 'I love you's' before calling it a night and saying goodbye._

Nathan awoke to the loud beeping of his alarm clock. He slammed his down on it trying to stop the dreadful noise. He almost forgot why he even set it in the first place before remembering he was going out with Clay tonight. He groaned in irritation. He really didn't feel like going to some club tonight. He knew there was no way out of it, though. Afterall, Clay Evans was his agent. He layed flat on his stomach in bed for about five more minutes before forcing himself up. He went into his bathroom and took a quick, hot shower. He dressed and walked out into his living room. Sure enough, Clay was sitting right on his couch as predicted. Nathan looked at the clock and saw it read nine o'clock. "Right on time." He chuckled.

"Hey, I just wanted to make sure you were actually going to show up tonight." Clay defended himself.

"I really don't want to go, Clay." Nathan complained.

"Too bad. You need some action. You've been in a weird mood ever since California." Clay said and didn't notice the way Nathan's whole body went rigid. "We're home. We're in New York. It's time to party, man. So, let's go. The guys and some very sexy women are waiting for us." He continued. Nathan rolled his eyes and followed his friend out of his apartment.

"I'll go out and try to have fun, but Clay, I really don't want to deal with any women tonight. I'm not in the mood tonight for meaningless sex with some girl who means absolutely nothing. I just want to have fun and let loose without women, okay." Nathan said as they waited for the elevator to take them downstairs.

"Whatever, man. More for me." Clay smirked before they stepped into the elevator with the doors closing behind them. The two arrived at the club about five till ten. The bouncer immediately let them in, and they headed straight to the VIP section. Nathan inwardly groaned when the table they headed to was surrounded by countless women barely dressed ready for their prowl. Nathan smiled at them politely before greeting all of the other guys. He caught sight of Clay and chuckled when he saw him already working his magic on one of the women. He ordered a beer and took a seat at the table and tried to steer clear of anything with boobs. A couple hours passed, and he was on his fifth beer. He wasn't drunk, but mixing his drinks with his exhaustion, he felt the effects hit him harder than normal. He looked down at his watch and noticed it was just a few minutes till midnight. He was ready to call it a night. He announced to everyone that he was heading home for the night which ensued plenty of protests. All of a sudden, a flock of women were saddled into his side wanting to be the lucky lady going home with him for the night. He definitely wasn't in the mood for any of this tonight. He politely pulled himself away from them and hightailed it out of the club. He hailed a cab and rode the distance back to his apartment. He sent Clay a quick text message to let him know he had left and was back home. That's all Nathan wanted-to go back home and climb straight back into bed.


	5. Chapter 5

Haley anxiously waited in the airport terminal for her brother. She hasn't seen him in months, and she could hardly wait any longer. She kept darting her head all over the place looking for any sign of him. Julian stood right beside her and couldn't stop himself from chuckling at his best friend's behavior. "Be careful there, Hales, you're going to severely strain your neck if you keep that up." He commented.

"Shut up, Julian!" She retorted causing him to laugh even more.

"Hales, relax. He'll get here when he gets here." He said.

"I know. I just haven't seen him in so long, and I miss him." She said.

"Well, you don't have to wait too much longer." He said as she looked at him confused. He moved his hand up and pointed off in the distance. Her eyes followed where he was pointing until settling on the sight of her brother. Her whole face lit up and she took off towards his direction. "Lucas!" She exclaimed pushing forward through the mass of people. As she got closer, she saw the huge smile that invaded his face. Finally closing the distance between them, she flung herself into his arms. Her arms wrapped around his neck as his wrapped tightly around her waist. "I've missed you, baby sis." He said as they allowed reality to sink in that they were actually in one anothers embrace.

"I've missed you, too, big brother." She returned. After a couple minutes of saying nothing or doing nothing but hugging one another, they finally pulled away. Lucas looked up and saw Julian walking up to them. "Hey, Lucas." He greeted.

"Hey, Julian. It's good to see you, man." Lucas said extending his hand out to him which Julian happily accepted.

"It's good seeing you. How was your flight?" Julian asked.

"It was okay. But I am starving." Lucas said.

"Well, I was thinking we could go grab an early lunch before heading back to the apartment. How does that sound?" Haley suggested.

"Sounds great to me." Lucas answered.

"Me, too." Julian added. Haley looped her arm through Lucas's as the three of them headed over to baggage claim to pick up his luggage. Once retrieving his suitcase, they left the airport in seach of something to eat. They settled on going to D-town Burger Bar in downtown L.A. to eat lunch. Once they finished eating, they headed back to Julian's apartment. "So, am I going to be staying with you?" Lucas asked Julian.

"Actually, we both are." Haley answered. "I'll be here pretty much the whole time anyway. I might as well just stay." She added.

"Sounds like a plan. So, Julian, Haley tells me you're working on a screenplay with Alex." Lucas said as the three of them made themselves comfortable on the couch in the living room.

"Yeah, we've been working on it nonstop. I'm really excited about this. I would have never expected Alex to write something like this, but it's absolutely brilliant. I'm trying to find funding for it right now. Alex has worked so hard, and I don't want to disappoint her by not being able to actually make it into a movie. It's a working project." Julian said as Lucas nodded his head in understanding. "What about you? How's the book coming along?" He asked.

"Oh, it's a working project." Lucas said as they all laughed. "I haven't been feeling very inspired lately. I've just been stressed and have had a lot on my mind right now. In a few months, I'm sure everything will be back to normal once again, and the ideas will just come pouring out of me." He added.

The three of them continued talking about anything and everything for hours. They ordered in Chinese for dinner and continued talking and reminiscing. It was about a quarter till nine, and Julian decided to give Lucas and Haley some alone time. He headed off to take a shower and go to bed. Lucas suddenly felt nervous and excited all at the same time realizing he was now going to talk to Haley about what he came here to talk about. "So, are you ever going to tell me why you're here?" She asked.

"Yes, I am. I have some pretty big news, and I really needed to tell you in person." He began.

"Okay. Well, you're here. Tell me." She laughed realizing his nervousness.

"Peyton and I...we're getting married." He revealed taking a deep breath.

"Oh my gosh! That's so awesome, Luke!" She exclaimed wrapping her arms around him in a big hug. "I'm so happy for you guys!" She gushed.

"Thanks, Hales. I'm really excited." He said as they pulled back from their embrace.

"When's the big date?" She asked.

"Soon. Really soon, actually. It's going to be July 30." He answered.

"Wow, that is soon. You guys do realize that's just a little over one month away, right?" She asked.

"Really? I didn't realize that. Thank goodness I have a sister who is such a genius." He remarked sarcastically. Haley rolled her eyes and lightly shoved him. "Yes, we realize that. We've actually been planning this for awhile now. Peyton knew I was going to ask her. She just didn't know when. But she had everything all planned out except for the date." He explained.

"That's so like Peyton." She laughed.

"Yes, it is." He agreed. He stopped laughing and tried to become more serious considering what was going to come next. "Hales, I know you're happy for us, but there's something that I think you're not realizing." He said softly as she looked at him confused and waited for him to explain. "We're getting married in Tree Hill." He revealed as realization set in on his sister's face. Her mouth formed a quiet "o" as an uncomfortable silence settled around them. "Hales, I know this is going to be hard on you. But, I really want you there. Peyton wants you as one of her bridesmaids. I want you in my wedding. Please, please come home for this." He pleaded.

"Luke, stop. Of course, I'll be there. And of course, I'll be a bridesmaid. I wouldn't miss this for the world." She said.

"Thank you, Hales. I can't do it without you." He said.

"You won't have to." She reassured as they shared another sweet embrace.

"There's a couple other things you should know, though." He said.

"Okay, what?" She asked.

"Well, Brooke is going to be a bridesmaid as well." He started and watched his sister's face fall slightly. "And...and I'm going to ask Nathan to be one of my groomsmen." He finished and immediately felt horrible when her face turned about as white as a ghost. Neither said anything for awhile until the deafening silence became too much. "Are you okay?" He asked quietly.

"Yeah, umm, wh...why wouldn't I be okay?" She stammered out.

"I'm sorry, Haley. I didn't mean to blindside you with this. That's one of the reasons why I wanted to talk to you in person. I know what I'm asking of you isn't fair, but I have always been close with Nathan. I want him to be one of the guys to stand up for me on my wedding day. Please understand, though, that I'm not doing this deliberately to hurt you." He said. He waited for her to say something, but she didn't. All she did was nod while staring straight ahead. "Haley, please talk to me. I need to know that you're going to be okay with this." He implored.

"I'll be fine, Luke." She said quietly.

"Are you sure?" He questioned.

"Yes. You're getting married. My brother's getting married. This is about you and Peyton. I was bound to have to see him sooner or later. At least we'll be meeting again under a happy occassion." She said.

"Okay." He mumbled. He could see in her eyes that she wasn't okay with this. He could see the fear and worry and sadness written all over her face. He wished he could make everything better for her. He wished he could take her pain away.

"I'm kind of tired. You can have the guest bedroom. I'm sure Julian would much rather prefer sleeping with me as opposed to you." She joked as the two stood up and headed through the halls to the bedrooms. "I'm really happy for you, Luke. And I am so happy you're here with me right now. I love you." She said pulling him into a warm embrace.

"I love you, too." He returned. The two said goodnight and headed into the separate bedrooms. Haley rushed over to the bed and climbed under the covers not bothering to change or anything. As soon as her face hit the pillow, the tears she's been holding in came pouring out. She felt the comforting embrace of her best friend as he swooped her into him as her tears landed on his bare chest. "What happened?" He asked quietly while gently stroking her hair. He listened as she tried to talk through her tears. "You know how you said you would be there for me whenever I was ready." She managed to get out.

"Yeah." He responded confused.

"Did you mean it?" She asked. Subconciously, she already knew the answer to her question. But she needed to hear him say it out loud. She was feeling so many things right now, and all she needed and wanted to hear was that her best friend would be there for her.

"Of course. What's going on, Hales?" He implored softly.

"I have to go back to Tree Hill." She answered and immediately felt his hold on her tighten.

"When are we leaving?" He asked. He didn't need to know anything else. He knew enough from just that one statement.

_Haley anxiously waited for Nathan to come pick her up. Tonight was the night of her senior prom. He was coming home for the weekend just to take her. She told him he didn't have to, and she would understand if he couldn't make it home. He said he wouldn't miss it. He told her that her prom should be special, and he wanted to make it special for her. "Honey, Nathan's here." Haley heard her mother call. She looked herself over one final time in the mirror before making her way down the stairs._

_Nathan was mesmerized when he saw her descending down the stairs. She was beautiful. She was wearing a black strap__less dress. The dress was tight around her breasts and waist and flowed slightly from the hips down. The dress was elegant and sexy. He smiled broadly at her as she stepped down from the last step. "Hi." She greeted smiling sweetly at him._

_"Hi. You look amazing." He said leaning forward and kissing her chastely on the lips. "Here, I got this for you." He said holding up a corsage. He pulled it out. Haley smiled greatly with tears in her eyes when she saw what the flowers were. __They were the purple flowers that were planted along the beach. She loved them, and they were her favorite. "Thank you, __Nathan. They're beautiful." She said as he gently slid the corsage onto her left wrist. "You look very handsome." She commented looking him up and down. She always loved the way he looked in a tux._

_"Thank you, but I already know that." He said smugly._

_"Gosh, you have like the biggest ego." She scoffed rolling her eyes at him._

_"But you love it. And you love me." He said pulling her into his embrace._

_"Unfortunately, I do." She smiled as they kissed one another. The kiss lasted for a few seconds before a voice cleared breaking them apart. They looked to their side and saw her parents standing there smiling at them. Well, Lydia was smil__ing. Jimmy was standing there trying to look like he was in his protective dad-mode. "If you think you could tear apart for just a few minutes, your mother would like to take a couple of pictures of you guys." Jimmy said looking pointedly at his daughter._

_"Of course." Haley said. A dozen pictures later, Haley finally told her mother enough and they had to get going. The four of them walked towards the door. "So, what are your plans after the dance is over?" Lydia asked._

_"Oh, there's a few of us going over to the beach house. Brooke wanted to have a prom after-party." Haley answered._

_"Are you spending the night?" Jimmy asked._

_"Yeah, I might as well. I mean, it's going to be really late anyway." She said._

_"I expect there to be no funny business. I mean it. No drinking, no smoking-nothing. And I don't want my daughter coming home pregnant. You got that, Nathan." Jimmy said sternly with his eyes boaring into Nathan._

_"Absolutely, Mr. James. I'll take real good care of her." Nathan said. Haley couldn't help but chuckle a bit looking back and forth between her father and her boyfriend._

_"Well, as fun as this is, we really have to get going." Haley said. She gave her mom a hug before moving onto her father. __"Don't worry, daddy. Nathan won't try anything." She whispered in his ear. She gave him a kiss on the cheek before back__ing away, grabbing Nathan's arm, and pulling him with her out the door._

_"I mean it, Nathan. I know your parents, and I know where you live. You better not impregnate my daughter!" Jimmy yelled out the door as Nathan and Haley climbed into the car. "Ouch!" He exclaimed when his wife hit him in his chest._

_"Really?" She asked laughing._

_"What?" He bit out._

_"They've been dating close to four years now. I think we can trust him. Besides, if they're going to do anything, they're going to do it. We can't stop it." She said._

_"Yeah, well, I can scare them out of it." He countered._

_"Oh, yeah, you're really scary." She laughed walking away from the doorway and into the kitchen._

_It's been a couple of hours into the prom. Nathan and Haley were having a great time. She was enjoying every minute of their time together. She loved him so much for coming home for her prom. It meant so much to her. She came back from the restroom and found Nathan sitting at their table. She sat down next to him and grew curious at the intense look on his face. "What's wrong with you?" She asked._

_"If that prick grabs my sister's ass one more time, he's going to regret it!" He seethed. Haley followed his line of sight out to the dancefloor. She saw Brooke and Chase slow dancing together. She couldn't help but smile at his over-protectiveness. __"Come on. Let's dance." She suggested standing up and pulling him with her to the dancefloor. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he placed his arms around her waist. They danced slowly and closely. "Thank you for coming tonight. __I really appreciate it." She said looking up into his eyes._

_"You're welcome." He responded._

_"I love you." She said quietly._

_"I love you, too." He returned as the two joined their lips in a sensual kiss. After the song was over, they headed back to their seats along with Chase and Brooke. Neither Brooke nor Haley missed the glares Nathan kept sending Chase's way. __Chase, however, sat there completely oblivious. Brooke just glared at her brother and cuddled closer into Chase just to stick it to him. Haley reached under the table and placed her hand on Nathan's thigh. He looked over to her as she gave him a stern look warning him to let it go._

_"Okay, everyone. If I can have your attention. It is now time to announce the prom king and queen. First up. Your 2005 prom king is Felix Taggaro." The principal announced as whistles and cheered sounded within the room. Felix strutted up to the stage as if he was some big hot shot. Brooke and Haley looked at each other and rolled their eyes in annoyance. Felix had to be one of the most cocky, assholes they've ever met-who also just happened to be Brooke's ex. "Great! I'm going to have to share a dance with him!" Brooke bit out disgusted causing them all to laugh._

_"Now, for your 2005 prom queen. Brooke Scott!" The principal announced as the room erupted in cheers, claps, and whistles. Brooke graciously made her way up to the stage to accept her crown. Haley smiled. She was happy for her best friend. She was such a beautiful, social butterfly. She deserved this. Everyone loved Brooke. How could you not? She had this bubbly personality which seemed to be contagious. She knew years from now, it wouldn't make a difference who won prom queen. It almost seemed silly when you really thought about it. But let's face it, this was high school. And high school was nothing but some big popularity contest to most people. Brooke was the most popular girl in high school. She fed off of it-not in some bad, stuck up way, though. She just loved to be loved. It was just her personality. But Haley knew the real Brooke. The Brooke nobody else saw. There was so much more to her than just a pretty face. She was smart and talented and had one of the biggest hearts she's ever seen._

_The music started as Felix and Brooke headed out to the middle of the dancefloor for their dance. Haley laughed when she saw the way they were dancing. There had to be like ten feet in the middle of them as their hands were just barely touch__ing. Felix kept trying to pull her closer, but after she stomped on his foot once, he received the message loud and clear. __Haley looked over to Nathan who was watching his sister and Felix slightly amused. "See, you have nothing to worry about. __Brooke can take care of herself." She reassured. "But the over-protectiveness is kind of sexy." She purred into his ear._

_"Is it, now." He smirked at her._

_"Totally." She smiled before capturing his lips in a kiss._

_"When do we get to get out of here?" He mumbled against her lips._

_"Hopefully, soon." She said tracing her tongue along the outside of his lips begging to enter which he happily obliged._

_"Hey, break it up. I saw tongue, and I don't want to see that." Brooke said resuming to her seat at their table. She smirked when they pulled apart and a blush covered Haley's whole face._

_"Yeah, well, I don't want to see Mr. Slick over here grabbing your ass all night." Nathan retorted sending a cold glare towards Chase. Chase immediately pulled his arm away from Brooke and sat up straight in his seat. Brooke sent a glare her brother's way as Haley slapped Nathan on his chest lightly telling him to stop._

_The four of them endured the rest of the dance. Nathan backed off of Chase and Brooke and focused his attention on Haley. Now, they, along with some other people, were at Nathan and Brooke's beach house enoying the after-party. Nathan and Haley quickly retreated up to his bedroom to escape the madness of the party downstairs. Neither of them were really in the mood to party. They just wanted to spend time together. With him away at Duke, he didn't have a lot of spare time to come back home. Even with his basketball season over, he had classes. He wasn't the brightest when it came to his studies or anything. He was trying to focus on his schoolwork to avoid losing his basketball scholarship and flunking out._

_"So, are you going back on Sunday?" She asked quietly while playing with the hem of his t-shirt. They had already changed out of their tux and dress. Nathan changed into some boxers and a t-shirt while Haley changed into some pajama shorts and a matching lace cami. They were currently laying in bed cuddling._

_"Yeah, I have class on Monday morning. I figured I could leave later on Sunday night." He answered._

_"And, then, you won't be back until graduation." She said._

_"Nope. I won't be back until graduation." He confirmed. "But it's not too much longer. It's only a few more weeks." He reassured._

_"I know, but then, I leave for Stanford a couple months later." She said._

_"Yeah, you do." He said quietly. "I love you, Haley. What did I tell you a couple years ago? We're going to make it through this. We're going to get married and have lots of babies." He said._

_"How many is a lot?" She asked changing the subject which was heavily depressing her._

_"Well, at least five." He answered._

_"Five! Oh, hell no!" She exclaimed pushing herself up on her elbows giving him an incredulous look._

_"What's wrong with five?" He asked._

_"What's wrong? Hmm, maybe because it's two or three too many. My body does not want to pop out five children." She said._

_"Well, we'll just have to talk about that later when we're ready to start that chapter in our lives." He said._

_"No, we won't, because we aren't having five children." She countered turning away from him. She yelped as he pulled her down to the bed and hovered over her slightly. She smiled up at him and traced his cheek with her hand. He smirked down at her before attacking her lips with his own. Their tongues met and battled with one another. Ever since their night together before he left for Duke, their make-out sessions have become more heated. They experienced things with each other using their hands and their tongues. They still haven't made it passed that, though. She still wasn't ready to have sex yet. She wasn't waiting for marriage or anything. She just didn't want to have sex with him only to have to leave him. __They were going to be on different sides of the country soon. Having sex would bring them closer together and in turn, make it that much harder to be so far away from each other._

_Her thoughts were broken when she felt his hand traveling up under her shirt cupping her breast. She moaned out in pleasure. He broke apart and attached his lips to her neck. He sucked vehemently on her skin as s__he tilted her head back giving him better access while running her hands through his hair. He moved back slightly and grabbed the hem of his shirt and tore it from his body before leaning back down to kiss her again. She pushed on his chest causing him to roll over flat on his back. She swung her legs over his body and strattled his body. He placed his hands on her so that they were resting half on her thighs and half on her hips. She smirked down at him as she reached down and pulled her cami off of her body revealing her naked breasts to him. Her breath hitched as she felt him grow hard under__neath her. Teasing him a bit, she moved down passed his erection eliciting a groan to fall from his lips._

_Nathan couldn't take it anymore. He wrapped his arms around her back and pulled her back down to him as they kissed passionately. She moved down his body placing wet, hot kisses along his chest down his stomach. Her fingers toyed with the hem of his boxers. He closed his eyes in anticipation before finally he felt her tugging his boxers down his legs. Before another thought could cross his mind, he felt her take him into his mouth. "God, Hales, that feels so good." He moaned. __After a few minutes, he came down her throat. His grip on the sheet loosened as he tried to regulate his breathing back to normal. He felt her inching her way back up his body kissing his skin along the way._

_"You okay?" She mumbled while kissed his neck._

_"Yeah. That was...that was amazing, baby." He breathed out. She cuddled into his side as he wrapped his arms around her naked back. "I'm going to miss you, Hales." He said into the quiet, darkness of the room._

_"Me, too." She returned. "You don't really want five kids, do you?" She asked after a couple seconds. She heard him start chuckling. "It's not funny, Nathan. I seriously want to know if you want to have five kids." She said._

_"I was just messing with you, Hales. We'll have as many kids as we both agree to when that time comes, okay." He said._

_"Okay." She laughed._

_"So, are you ready to end your prom night?" He asked suggestively._

_"Well, what did you have in mind?" She asked seductively. He gently rolled them over so he was once again hovering over her. He leaned forward as she closed her eyes waiting for his kiss. His lips brushed up against hers very lightly before moving on down her neck. She snapped her eyes open and shook her head in annoyance. "Nathan." She sighed._

_"Haley." He mocked placing his lips onto her neck._

_"Nathan, please, kiss me." She pleaded._

_"No. But don't worry, I'll make you feel so good." He said gliding his kisses down her body. He took one of her breasts into his mouth flicking his tongue along her nipple causing her to moan in pleasure. After spending a considerable amount of time there, he moved onto her other breast doing the same. He moved his kisses down her stomach and ran his tongue along the outside of her belly button before descending even lower. He hooked his fingers into the sides of her shorts and panties and pulled them both down and off her legs. He kissed his way back up her body reaching her inner thigh._

_Haley wanted to scream out in frustration. He was right where she wanted him. He was right there, yet he wasn't doing anything. She needed him to do something quick. Her body was on fire, and she needed him. This was absolute torture for her. "Nathan, please." She pleaded. Deciding to end his teasing, he gently pushed her thighs further apart before placing his mouth on her wet, hot center. "Oh, god!" She moaned out. Keeping his mouth on her, he plunged two fingers into her. She arched her back off of the bed gripping the sheets underneath her. His thrusts became faster as his strokes became broader and more forceful. She felt herself quickly slipping into ecstacy as her body began to tremble. "Nathan!" __She cried out. Coming down from her high, she fell flat against the bed breathing heavily. Her eyes remained closed as she felt him lay down next to her draping his arm across her stomach laying his head in the crook of her neck. He pulled her closer against his naked body. Finding some strength, she placed her hands on his back drawing patterns on his bare skin. "I love you." He mumbled into her neck._

_"I love you, too." She returned quietly as they both drifted off into a deep sleep._

* * *

><p>Julian walked into the kitchen the following morning and found Lucas sitting at the counter while Haley was cooking breakfast. "Good morning." He greeted.<p>

"Good morning." Both Lucas and Haley said in unison.

"So, I hear congratulations are in order." He said sticking out his hand towards Lucas who graciously accepted the gesture.

"Thanks. I'm kind of excited about it." Lucas said.

"Kind of? Uh oh, do I need to give Peyton a call?" Haley joked.

"My sister the comedian." Lucas retorted in the same manner. Haley placed a plate full of food in front of Lucas before placing another one beside his. Julian took a seat next to Lucas and the two began eating their breakfast. Haley continued cleaning up the mess. "Haley, sit down and eat with us." Lucas said.

"No, I'm not really that hungry." She said.

"Are you okay? You barely ate anything yesterday at lunch or dinner." Julian said.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just haven't been very hungry these past few days. I'm so stressed with the deadlines for the magazine and stuff that the thought of food makes me sick. I'm fine, really." She said.

"You, my dear sister, need a vacation." Lucas commented.

"I don't have the time for a vacation. I guess, I'll just have to think of your wedding as a vacation." Haley responded.

"Speaking of that, I need your address, Julian. I just realized last night that I don't have it. I know it's less than two months away, but I figured, you found out in person." Lucas said as he and Julian laughed.

"Actually, you don't need to send him an invitation." Haley said.

"Please tell me you are coming, Julian." Lucas said.

"Yeah, I'm coming. I'm just going to go as Haley's date." Julian replied.

"Yup. See, big brother, we just saved you the cost of an invitation." Haley said.

"Wow! One whole invitation. Thank you so much, Hales." Lucas remarked sarcastically.

"Watch it!" She warned. "No, we just figured, we're going to be going together anyway. I mean, we're flying in together. We're going to stay in the same hotel together, and..."

"You're not going to stay with Peyton and me?" Lucas interrupted with a hint of sadness in his voice.

"I can't stay with you guys, Luke. You're living in their house." Haley said.

"You mean, our parents. You can say their names, and you can say mom and dad, Haley." Lucas said feeling his temper rise. Ever since their parents died, he never hears Haley talk about them. And when references are made, she always uses the different forms of 'they'. He knows she hasn't properly dealt with their deaths, and he grew increasingly worried about her. He couldn't talk to her, though. They've always been close. Most people thought they were more like twins. But he's never been able to get through to her when she shuts down. Her walls go up, and it's almost impossible to break through the barrier. He's only seen two people who have been able to-Nathan and Julian. Sometimes, Brooke would be able to. But he and Brooke were more like the same in reference to Haley's shut downs. They both tried but have never successfully managed to.

"I know what their names are, Lucas." Haley retorted angrily.

Julian sat there watching the scene between Lucas and Haley. He felt like he was stuck in the middle. He loved Haley, and she was his best friend. He would do anything for her. And he understands her in ways not very many, if any, other people do. But he felt for Lucas. He knew Lucas wished his sister would turn to him. He knew Lucas wished Haley would explain her feelings to him. There were so many things Julian actually agreed with Lucas on, but he also knew he couldn't push Haley or she would shut down completely. There was a way to approach her, and it had to be gradually and gently. Lucas didn't understand that. He gets so frustrated and let's his anger and annoyance cloud that.

"Do you?" Lucas bit out harshly. "You know, just forget it. When are you guys flying in?" He asked changing the subject.

"It depends. What does Peyton need me for? I mean, dress-wise and stuff." Haley asked still reeling from their heated discussion herself.

"She just needs your dress size, and you can have a fitting when you get into town. Any adjustments can be made on short notice. We have the rehearsal dinner on Friday night. Peyton said she'll take you for a dress fitting on Friday morning." Lucas answered.

"Okay, works for me." Haley said.

"Umm, we're having joint bachelor/bachelorette parties on Thursday night. We're just going to go to Tric. Have you ever heard of Mia Catalono?" He asked as she shook her head no. "Well, she's on Peyton's label, and Peyton's maid of honor. Anyway, she's going to perform a few of her new songs. We're just going to go out and have a nice, relaxing time. It will be fun. You guys are going to come, right?" He asked.

"Yeah, of course." Haley answered.

"We're there, man." Julian said.

"Oh, Peyton asked me to give you a copy of this." Lucas said tossing a cd his sister's way.

"What's this?" She asked confused looking at the cd cover.

"That is a copy of Mia's cd. Peyton said you would probably really enjoy her music." Lucas answered.

"Okay. Well, tell her I said thank you." Haley said in appreciation as Lucas nodded.

"So, what's on the agenda for today?" Lucas asked.

"I don't know, actually. I gave you a tour of L.A. the last time you were here, unless you want another one." Haley said.

"No, I'm fine. I'm finding out that I'm a small town guy. When I was in New York with Nat...you know what, it's not important." Lucas dismissed realizing his almost slip and the look on his sister's face. "How about we just stay here and you can show me what you're working on next. Both of you." He said.

"Sounds good to me." Haley agreed.

"Well, I'm sorry but I can't stay. I have to go meet Alex to work on her screenplay. That's what I'm working on, today. I'll be back later tonight for dinner, though. I'll text you when I'm on my way home." Julian said giving Haley a quick kiss on the cheek. The three of them said goodbye, and Julian left.

"Looks like it's just you and me, baby sis." Lucas said.

"Looks that way." She smiled.

* * *

><p>"Nathan!" Brooke called out walking into her brother's apartment. She set her purse down on the coffee table just as she saw Nathan walking into the living room. "Hey, Brooke. What brings you by? Thanks for knocking, by the way." He said.<p>

"Oh, hush. You know I made myself a spare key." She dismissed waving her hand as Nathan shook his head in irritation and amusement.

"So, what brings you by?" He asked as they both took a seat on his couch.

"Can't a sister just drop by for a visit?" She said.

"Not if they have you for a sister. Besides, I can tell when you need to tell me something." He countered.

"Fine. There is something that I kind of wanted to talk to you about." She relented.

"Okay, what is it?" He asked.

"Well, Peyton called me the other day. She and Lucas are getting married." She began excitedly.

"I know. Lucas called me this morning. He asked me to be one of his groomsmen." He responded.

"Yeah, I'm going to be a bridesmaid." She said.

"So, is that what you wanted to talk to me about? Gosh, Brooke, you made it sound so serious." He laughed.

"Yes and no. What I wanted to talk to you about involves that." She said and hesitated before continuing. Nathan sent her a look to go on. "Well, Haley is going to be in the wedding, too." She said.

"Yeah, I know. I've been thinking about it all morning actually." He said quietly.

"Are you going to be okay?" She asked.

"No, but Lucas is one of my best friends, and I will push how I feel aside." He answered.

"I know, but I'm kind of nervous. We haven't talk to each other in a very long time. What if she's still upset with me? What if she's still angry? I was really mean to her, Nathan, after you guys broke up. I never told you this, but I called her once while she was at Stanford." She admitted.

"Really? What happened?" He asked surprised.

_"Brooooke! Honey, I'm home!" A petite blonde yelled walking into their dormroom. She stopped when she saw her room__ate sitting on one of the beds staring down at the cellphone in her hand. "Hey, what's wrong, roomie?" The girl asked plopping down on the bed next to her._

_"I'm just trying to build the courage to make a phone call." Brooke said quietly._

_"To whom?" She asked._

_"My best friend from back home. Her parents died a few days ago. The funeral was yesterday." Brooke answered._

_"Wow, that's really sad. What happened?" She asked._

_"It...it was a car accident. They both died instantly." Brooke said. "I should have been there." She mumbled._

_"Where?"_

_"The funeral. I should have been there." Brooke said._

_"You couldn't have gone if you didn't know until now." The girl tried to reason._

_"No, I knew. I knew a few days ago. Another friend of mine, Peyton, called me and told me. I just...I couldn't face her. We haven't spoken in three years, and the last time we did didn't exactly go over so well. But she was-is, is my best friend, and I should have been there. Not only for that, but I knew her parents. I grew up with her parents. I loved them, and I love her. I just...I can't believe I wasn't there." Brooke said with tears in her eyes._

_"You said you were going to call her. Why don't you just call her right now? No matter what she's feeling, I'm sure a call from you might make all the difference." The girl suggested. Brooke nodded and took a deep breath before dialing that ten digit number. She closed her eyes as she heard the ringer a couple times before a voice answered. "Hello?"_

_"Hi, is...umm, is Haley there?" Brooke asked not recognizing the man's voice. She knew for sure it wasn't Lucas. She knew his voice, and it most definitely was not him._

_"Yeah, she's in the shower. Let me just go see if she's done." He said. She waited patiently and nervously trying to hold onto whatever courage she had in her. "Hello?" Brooke froze when she heard her voice. It's been three years. Her voice still sounded just the same. It was sweet and angelic just like always. However, she heard the sadness behind it. Her heart broke for her best friend. "Hello?" The voice repeated._

_"Hi." Brooke mumbled quietly. That's the only word that managed to come out of her mouth. She knew Haley immediately knew who it was. There was no answer. All that could be heard was their breathing. "Haley, are you there?" She asked timidly._

_"What do you want, Brooke?" Haley asked. Brooke heard the anger and exhaustion in her voice._

_"I just...I heard about your parents. I just wanted to make sure you're okay." Brooke stammered out._

_"I'm fine." Haley answered showing no emotion in her voice._

_"Haley, I'm so sorry." Brooke cried._

_"Okay, then. Is that all you wanted?" Haley bit out._

_"I, umm, I..."_

_"As fascinating as this conversation is, I have things to do today. So, was there anything else you wanted?" Haley interrupted._

_"No, I just wanted to say I'm sorry. Bye, Haley." Brooke said quickly hanging up the phone. She stared at the phone in her hand. She placed her hands in her lap and started to sob. Her roomate quickly pulled her into her arms. "Are you okay? __What happened?" She asked softly._

_"Exactly what I was afraid might happen. She hates me." Brooke cried._

_"I'm sorry, Brooke." The girl said trying her best to comfort her roomate._

"Gosh, Brooke, why didn't you ever tell me about that?" Nathan asked.

"I don't know. I guess, I just felt so horrible. She hates me, Nathan. I don't want things to be awkward between anyone when we all go back home." Brooke said.

"Maybe we should just keep our distance from her, then. We converse with her for wedding details, but that's all." He suggested.

"Nathan, you know as well as I know that it isn't going to be that simple. You won't be able to stay away from her anymore than I will. I want to try to fix things between us. If she wants me to leave her alone, I will. But if I see even a glimmer of hope at getting my best friend back, I'm going to take it. And you should to. I know you want her back in your life. You still love her, Nathan." She said gently.

"It doesn't matter. She's with someone else, and she's happy." He said.

"Even if that's true, you still want her back in your life. Maybe you could try being friends, and maybe that will help you get the closure you need to get over her and move on with your life." She suggested.

"We'll just have to see how things go." He said.

* * *

><p>"I'm going to miss you, Luke." Haley said. It was now Sunday evening and Lucas and Haley were currently at the airport waiting for his flight to leave.<p>

"I'm going to miss you, too, Hales. But we'll see each other again in eight weeks." He said.

"I know. It's so great to be able to see you twice in a two month period. Lucas, after your wedding, I'm going to try really hard to come to Tree Hill more. It's not fair that you always have to come here. And I miss Peyton, and I miss all of our other friends. I won't make any promises, but I'm going to try really hard." She said.

"That would be amazing." He said. At that moment, they heard Lucas's flight being called over the intercom. "Well, I guess that's me." He said. He embraced his sister in a tight hug. "I'm going to miss you. I'll see you in a few weeks. I love you." He said.

"I love you, too. Bye, Luke." She said holding onto him just a bit tighter. They slowly broke apart, Lucas grabbed his bags, and he began walking towards the terminal. He waved goodbye to his sister before disappearing out of her sight.

**Okay, there's another chapter you guys. Next chapter we will finally have Nathan and Haley meeting once again face to face. Thank you for your reviews. I always love hearing feedback. And I've read quite a few reviews and e-mails stating you don't like Lucas and Peyton together. I'm sorry for that. Believe me, I was never a Leyton fan or a Peyton fan. They just worked for my story. And I love Brulian, so I wanted Brooke to be available. Besides, I always thought she was too good for Lucas even though I love him. Anyway, even to those who are reading but not reviewing, thank you for taking the time. As I said last chapter, I will probably have another chapter up later today!**


	6. Chapter 6

**I really need to get another job. I tell you-you complain about having to go to work, but when you are out of work, you complain about not going. I am soooo bored. But hey, at least I can spend my time in the world of OTH! I'm glad I can get some very fast updates up for you guys. I will apologize ahead of time when I get a job. I probably won't be updating as regularly as day to day. But I will for now! So, anyway, going off topic. I hope you are still enjoying. I know there are questions, and they will be answered eventually. So, read and let me know what you think!**

_Haley walked down the halls of Tree Hill High with dozens of eyes staring in her direction. She felt like she was on display of some kind and tightened her books up against her chest. She wasn't used to this. She didn't like this type of attention. __She wasn't Brooke. She didn't like to be the center of attention. She was in the middle of her freshmen year of high school. __Nobody really even knew who she was. To everyone else, she was always Lucas Jame's baby sister, Brooke Scott's best friend, and the girl Nathan Scott always looked after and protected. She was known as the best tutor at the school. Hell, __she tutored probably seventy percent of the jocks at this school. She was known as sweet, innocent, baby James. People liked her. She was probably the nicest girl in the whole school. But that's all she was._

_But now, walking down the halls of Tree Hill High, she was met with the cold glares from the girls of the sophomore and junior classes. She didn't ask for this nor did she want this. She persevered, though. She wasn't going to let anyone intimidate her right now. Finally making it to her locker, she opened the metal and threw her books into it. She let out a tiny squeel when she felt someone place their hands on her hips. She closed her eyes as he leaned into her back and dropped a chaste kiss on her cheek. She felt his hands loosen on her and watched as he saddled up to her with his right shoulder leaning against the lockers next to hers. "Hey." He greeted._

_"Hey." She returned quietly._

_"Are you okay?" He asked sensing her solemn mood while putting his hand on her arm softly._

_"Yeah, I'm fine." She dismissed._

_"You're lying. What's wrong, Hales?" He prodded. He watched as she glanced over her shoulders before turning abruptly back towards her locker._

_"Maybe we're making a mistake." She said quietly._

_"A mistake about what?" He asked confused._

_"Us." She mumbled almost inaudibly._

_"What are you talking about? Do you mean us as in you and me together?" He questioned wanting to make sure he under__stood her correctly._

_"Yes...no...yes...I don't know." She muttered._

_"Well, which one is it, Haley?" He asked feeling his anger rise. "I mean, it's either yes or no. There's nothing in between. __Do you think WE are a mistake?" He continued angrily._

_"I don't, I just...I'm sorry." She cried wiping a fallen tear from her cheek, shutting her locker door, and walking away head__ing straight into the closest bathroom leaving Nathan behind completely bewildered._

_Haley didn't know how long she was sitting in the bathroom. All she knew was that she had a major headached from the tears that didn't seem to want to stop. She faintly heard the door open and someone calling her name. She saw a pair of pink flip flops puttering towards her until they finally stopped in front of the bathroom stall she was in. "Haley, it's me, __Brooke."_

_"It's unlocked." Haley said quietly. She watched the door swing slowly open revealing her best friend's face._

_"Hales, what's wrong?" Brooke asked concerned. "Nathan told me you were upset about something, and then, you just took off. He asked me to come check on you. What happened?" She continued._

_"I think I broke up with Nathan." Haley said._

_"What? Why?" Brooke asked confused._

_"I don't know if I did or not. I was just, I wanted it to all go away." Haley said._

_"What to go away? You're going to have to help me out here, Hales." Brooke said._

_"Everyone staring and talking." Haley answered. Brooke nodded her head in complete understanding. She stretched out her hands. Haley placed her hands in them as Brooke helped her up. Brooke threw her arms around the girl embracing her in a tight hug. She rubbed her hands soothingly up and down her friend's back in comfort. "Forget all of those girls. They are all just jealous, because Nathan wants you and not them." She said._

_"Is Nathan okay? I didn't mean what I said. I just felt so exposed and had to get away from everyone's staring. I don't want him thinking that I regret the two of us." Haley said._

_"He doesn't, Haley. He knows something was upsetting you." Brooke reassured. Haley closed her eyes and nodded her head. "Come on. Let's get you all freshened up. And then, we will walk down that hall and glare at anyone who dares to look our way. You got it." Brooke said._

_"Yeah, I got it." Haley laughed. "Thanks, Brooke." She said._

_"Hey, I've got your back." Brooke smiled._

_A couple minutes later, the two friends walked out of the bathroom and through the halls with their arms looped with one anothers. The approached the lockers and Haley saw Nathan still standing in the same spot next to her locker. The two locked eyes and kept them locked until Haley and Brooke were now standing in front of him. "I'm going to go. I'm already late for class. You kids have fun." Brooke said giving Haley a comforting squeeze on her arm before rushing away in the opposite direction. Haley turned her attention back to Nathan. "Hi." She said quietly._

_"Hey." He mumbled. He looked around awkwardly and saw there wasn't anyone else in the halls anymore._

_"Can we talk, Nathan?" She asked timidly. He caught her gaze again and slowly nodded his head. He saw her dart her head looking around at their surroundings. He knew she was uncomfortable doing this out in the open hallway. Sure, they were all alone right now, but that didn't mean someone would come wondering through the halls soon. He looked around and spotted an old storage room. He grabbed her hand gently and pulled her into the room with him closing the door behind them. He let go of her hand and sat down on a desk that was stored in there. "I'm sorry, Nathan." She said quietly._

_"What happened, Hales? What was wrong?" He asked._

_"I don't know. I just, I'm not used to this. All of the stares and whispers-it intimidates me. In case you missed it, I'm not exactly the social butterfly like Brooke. I don't like all of the extra attention. The way those girls were looking at me made me feel like I was doing something wrong and stepping on their territory or something. They make me feel very insecure." __She said saying that last sentence quietly._

_"Why, Haley? You've always been very sure of yourself." He said._

_"Yeah, before when I was just 'Tutor Girl'. Now, I'm Nathan Scott's girlfriend. And he's Mr. hotshot basketball superstar. __All of the girls want him. He's a junior, and he's dating a young, naive freshmen." She rattled off._

_"First off, please stop with the 'he's'. HE is standing right here." He laughed standing up from the desk and walking over to her. "Secondly, you are not some naive freshmen. You are probably the smartest girl in this whole school." He continued and placed his arms around her waist pulling her closer to him. "And third, I'm dating you because I care about you. You are amazing and beautiful and intelligent. And you know me in ways that those other girls could never possible under__stand or even try to understand. What you said about me being 'Mr. hotshot basketball superstar'-that's all they see. You see the real me. And the real me is crazy about you. You have no reason feeling insecure around them. They mean nothing to me. They're just jealous of you, because you got me. I'm what they want and what they can't have." He said._

_"You're awefully sure of yourself." She teased smiling._

_"Is that a smile, Haley Marie James?" He asked quirking an eyebrow. He smiled when she let out a laugh. "See, there's the Haley that I know." He said leaning forward and placing a kiss on her forehead._

_"I'm sorry, Nathan." She apologized quietly._

_"It's okay. We're okay, though, right? I mean, you don't think we're a mistake anymore, do you?" He asked._

_"No. I never thought we were a mistake. I'm sorry I said that. I want us, and I want you." She said._

_"Good, because I want you, too." He said. He moved his hands from her waist up to her neck and pulled her into a kiss. He felt relieved when she wrapped her arms tightly around his waist. They kissed one another slowly and sensually before he felt the urge to deepen it. He ran his tongue along the outside of her bottom lip seeking access. She obliged and opened her mouth to him. He moved his right hand up to caress her left cheek and tilted his head slightly as the momentum of their kiss greatly increased._

_Haley moaned quietly into his mouth revelling in the sensations he was stirring within her. She felt a huge weight lifted off of her. She couldn't believe how quickly she let everyone get to her. She needed him. She wanted him. And she was so glad he didn't just give up on her. And him saying those things to her made her feel more secure with their relationship. __They've only been dating for just a few days, but she knew she was falling in love with him. She was falling hard, and she was falling fast._

* * *

><p>"Ladies and Gentlemen, we'll be preparing our descent into the New Brunswick National Airport shortly, please return to your seats and fasten your seatbelts." The pilot announced. Haley opened her eyes as she heard the captain's voice over the intercome. She took a moment to allow her eyes to adjust to the light. She nervously looked out the window in the plane and took in the familiar surroundings. She felt the plane touch the ground, and she closed her eyes dreading what was coming next. She took a deep breath and felt a comforting hand cover hers. She opened her eyes, turned to her right, and saw Julian watching her. "You ready?" He asked.<p>

"As ready as I'll ever be." She answered. They heard the captian speaking and soon, all of the other passengers began grabbing their belongings and heading off the plane. Julian stood up and pulled their bags out of the overhead compartment. He held out his hand towards her as she graciously accepted. The two made their way down the aisle and out of the plane. They headed through the terminal and passed a sign. "Welcome to Tree Hill, North Carolina." Haley shook her head and tried to block out her past memories. She held tightly to Julian's hand as he led them through the airport. The nervousness disapated when she saw Lucas standing in the airport. The two rushed to each other and shared a similar reaction to when he came to L.A.

The three of them picked up their baggage, climbed into Lucas' car, and drove to the hotel. They unpacked and got everything situated. "So, Peyton's really excited to see you. She wants us to have dinner before we head over to Tric. How does that sound?" Lucas asked.

"I think it sounds great. I can't wait to see her!" Haley exclaimed.

"Okay. Well, I'll leave you two to freshen up. We'll meet you guys at the restaurant by the Market Street Dock around five?" Lucas said.

"Sounds good. We will see you then." She said. She gave her brother a quick hug before he departed from the room. She turned back to Julian. "What time is it?" She asked.

"It is..."

"Oh my gosh, it's three thirty! I have to go get ready!" She interrupted rushing into the bathroom.

"Three thirty." He finished into the empty hotel room and chuckled before rummaging through his clothes for something to wear.

Julian and Haley walked into the restaurant about three till five. The hostess showed them to their table and Haley's face lit up when she saw them. She saw the way Peyton smiled when she caught her eyes and stood up from the table. "Haley!" Peyton exclaimed pulling her future sister-in-law in a tight embrace.

"Hi, Peyton!" Haley exclaimed.

"You look beautiful." Peyton commented as they broke out of their embrace but still left their arms resting on one another's.

"Thanks. You do, too. You're absolutely glowing." Haley commented.

"Yeah, your brother seems to bring that out in me." Peyton stated. "Hey, Julian." She said noticing Julian standing behind Haley. She gave him a quick hug as Lucas and Haley embraced as well. The four of them sat down as the waiter came by the table. Haley and Peyton ordered some wine as Lucas and Julian ordered a couple of beers. Shortly later, they ordered their food. The four of them conversed about anything and everything. They caught up on what they've all been doing since they were all last together. Peyton talked about her record label. Haley talked about her magazine. Lucas talked about his book. And Julian talked about Alex's screenplay. And saving the best for last, they were now talking about the wedding.

Haley watched the expressions on Peyton and Lucas's face as they talked about all of the details. They were so happy and so in love. It made her heart flutter. She knows how much they love each other. You can't be with someone for more than six years and not love them. Watching them together, though, made her feel incredibly happy for being able to come home for their wedding. She was so happy for her brother, and she couldn't wait to be a part of this wedding.

"I hope you like your dress, Haley." Peyton's voice sounded ripping Haley of her thoughts.

"Oh, I'm sure I'll love it." Haley reassured.

"Well, Mia really loved them. So, I think you will. You're going to look beautiful." Peyton said.

"Thanks. I can't wait to see your dress. I bet it's amazing. Where did you get it from?" Haley asked. She saw the way Peyton tensed a little and momentarily glanced at Lucas. "Am I missing something?" She asked.

"No, it's just...Brooke made all of the dresses." Peyton answered timidly.

"Oh, well, umm...I'm sure they're very beautiful, then. Brooke's very talented." Haley praised. She told herself that she was going to have a nice time. She wasn't going to cause a scene, and she wasn't going to do anything to ruin this for her brother or Peyton. She told herself that she was just going to stay away from both Brooke and Nathan. She'd talk to them if necessary, but other than that, she would steer clear.

Both Lucas and Peyton looked surprised at how calm and graceful Haley seemed to be handling everything so far. The real question would be what was going to happen tonight. Brooke was in town already. She has been for a few days now. She arrived early to show Peyton the dresses and do final alterations to them. They haven't seen Nathan yet, but they're assuming he is in town now.

* * *

><p>"Mom! Dad!" Nathan exclaimed walking through the doors of his parent's house. He placed his bags on the wood floor in front of the door and noticed his mom rushing to him. "Nathan, you're home!" Karen greeted throwing her arms around her son.<p>

"Hey, mom. It's good to be home." He said hugging his mom. "Where's dad?" He asked looking around.

"He's at the dealership." She answered.

"Wow, how nice of him to be home to see me." He said sarcastically.

"Nathan, cut him some slack, okay?" She said softly.

"You're right. I'm sorry, mom." He apologized.

"Okay, so I have your room all ready for you. Let's take your bags and get you settled." She suggested. Nathan chuckled at her before bending down to pick up his bags and followed her up the stairs. "Now, your room is just like you left it the summer before you moved to New York. Except it's actually clean now. I still don't understand why you stay in a hotel whenever you come home to visit." She said as they walked into his old bedroom.

Nathan wanted to laugh. He didn't exactly want to tell her that he stays at a hotel just in case he meets a girl and decides to have a little fun. He sure as hell wouldn't be bringing some girl he just met home to his parents house to have meaningless sex with. And he's pretty sure his parents wouldn't care for that either. His dad might not care, but his mom definitely would. And he wasn't about to disrespect his mother in her own house.

"Speaking of, why are you staying here now?" She asked.

"I just want to spend time with my family. Everyone's going to be home. Brooke's staying here. And everyone's in town for Lucas and Peyton's wedding. I just think it will be nice to spend the whole time with family and friends." He answered.

"Well, you won't hear me argue with that." She said and watched as he plopped down onto his bed. She was quick to follow as she put her arm around him. "So, Haley's going to be in town." She stated.

"Yeah, she is." He said quietly.

"And you're going to see her tonight." She said.

"Yup, I'm going to see her tonight." He said.

"Are you nervous?" She asked.

"A little." He admitted. His mom didn't say anything to his response. He looked over to her and saw the look she was giving him. "What?" He asked.

"Nothing. I'm just wondering what you're going to do?" She answered.

"I don't know, mom. Gosh, why does everything have to be so hard?" He asked rubbing his hands over his face.

"Love is hard, sweetie. It never gets any easier. It's confusing and frustrating and annoying." She said.

"Jeez, you make it sound so grand." He joked.

"It is, honey. I don't need to tell you that, though. You've experienced it before." She said.

"Yeah, well, that was the past." He said.

"Maybe. But maybe it can be the future, as well." She stated.

"And what am I supposed to do? Go run and tell her how I feel. Confuse her and destroy her happiness all because I can't live without her even though, I'm the one who broke up with her. I broke her heart. For some reason, I don't think she's just going to run right back into my arms." He vented.

"How do you know? Maybe she's just as miserable as you are." She said.

"I'm not miserable, mom." He countered.

"Really? Well, when's the last time you actually dated a girl. And I don't mean A date. I mean, dated as in, been in a steady relationship with someone. I'll tell you when-not since Haley. And whenever someone mentions her name, you tense. You get this glazed-over look in your eyes. You are still in love with her. I don't know why you broke up with her, and I don't really care. I don't understand it, though. But whatever. What are you going to do about it now? She's here, Nathan. She is in town. She has walked right back into your life. And after this wedding, she is going to walk right back out if you don't do something about it. You do not know how she is feeling. And you won't know unless you talk to her." She said. She watched her son shake his head without responding. Sometimes she wanted to smack some sense into him. "Well, I'll let you get settled. Everyone's going to be heading to Tric soon. I know your sister has been getting ready for hours now." She continued.

"Speaking of, where is Brooke?" He asked.

"She has locked herself in her bathroom. Don't go in her room. There are clothes and shoes scattered all over her floor. I tell you, I'm not so sure her being a designer is a good thing." She said as they both laughed.

"That's Brooke for you. She always has to look her best." He stated.

"I think it's more than that. You know, you aren't the only one who's nervous about seeing a certain person tonight." She said. She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before leaving him alone in his bedroom with nothing but his thoughts. He looked over at the clock and saw it read ten till six. Everyone was meeting around seven. He figured he had plenty of time before he had to start getting ready. He decided to take a nap. He was exhausted from the plane ride and wanted plenty of energy for tonight.

_Nathan sat in his dormroom. He was laying flat on his back tossing a basketball up and down over his head. It was the middle of his junior year at Duke. It was basketball season, and he was tired all of the time. Not just physically tired but emotionally tired. He thought about her all of the time. He wondered what she was doing right now. He wondered how she was adjusting to living in California. He wondered if she was dating anyone. And he wondered if she ever thought about him anymore. He heard his door open and saw his roomate walking in._

_"Hey, Nate. Whatcha up to?" He asked._

_"What does it look like, Vince?" Nathan said sarcastically._

_"Well, get dressed. You and I are going to a frat party tonight. ADPhis is throwing a kickass party tonight with the girls from Pi Phi." Vince said._

_"No, man. I'm really not in the mood to go out and party." Nathan said._

_"Nate, you haven't partied since our sophomore year. Gosh, I think the last party you went to was that one before you went home and broke up with that fine ass girlfriend of yours." Vince said._

_"Watch it!" Nathan warned._

_"I'm just saying." Vince siad putting his hands up in defense. "Come on, Nate, I'm getting you out of this slump you seem to be in. When's the last time you got laid? You know the girls from Pi Phi will be able and willing to hook up with Duke's hottest point gaurd." He continued._

_"Yeah, that's what I wan-to hook up with some random sorority chick. Sorry, but I don't want to deal with that tonight." __Nathan retorted._

_"Then, don't hook up with anyone. Just come and let loose and have a hell of a damn good time. Get dressed. You're going." Vince said sternly._

_"Fine." Nathan groaned._

_An hour later, the two guys arrived at the ADPhis fraternity house. Vince set his sights on a bubbly brunette while Nathan headed straight towards the keg. He filled his cup to the top and began drinking. Seven beers later, he walked out of the kitchen in search of his roomate. He decided he was done for the night and was going to head back to the dorm. He found some other players from the basketball team and asked if they had seen him. They told him he was upstairs with the girl he met from earlier. Nathan rolled his eyes and turned around only to run smack dab into someone. He reached out and caught the girl before she fell to floor. "Sorry, I didn't mean to." He apologized._

_"It's quite alright. You're Nathan Scott, right?" She asked._

_"Yeah." He answered shortly._

_"I thought so. Hi, I'm Candie." She introduced._

_"Candie? Wow, sounds like the name of a stripper." He commented._

_"Well, my full name is actually Candice. But Candie became a nickname." She said._

_"Lucky you." He deadpanned._

_"You know, I'm not a stripper. But if you want to go upstairs with me, I would be happy to give you a little private dance. __Maybe you can tell me if I have what it takes to actually be a stripper." She purred._

_"Sorry, not tonight." He said trying to escape from her grasp._

_"Why not?" She challenged._

_"Sorry, I'm just not interested. There's someone else." He said._

_"Is she here tonight?" She asked._

_"No, she lives in California." He answered._

_"She doesn't have to know." She said._

_"But I would. We may not be together anymore, but I..."_

_"So, you're not even dating her anymore? What's the point of hanging on? How do you know she isn't away in California moving on from you? I mean, did you end things on great terms? She's probably feeling very lonely and vulnerable. She is probably looking for someone to fill the void in her heart now that you're gone." She said. She smirked as he processed her words. "You know, it seems as if you're pretty hurt. I can make you feel better. I'm not asking for a relationship. After tonight, we never have to speak to one another again, but I could help take her off your mind for the night. It's just sex. It doesn't have to mean anything. It could be just one night of fun." She continued. She watched as he chugged the rest of his beer and placed it on a nearby table._

_"Let's go." He said grabbing her hand and leading her up the stairs and into one of the bedrooms._

_An hour later, Nathan layed in bed staring up at the ceiling. He looked over and saw the girl from the party sleeping next to him. He sighed and moved his eyes back up to the ceiling. He wanted to get out of there, but he couldn't move. He felt so guilty. He felt as if he had just cheated on Haley which was ridiculous. They weren't together, and they haven't been for nine months. But still, he couldn't help feeling that way. "So, her name's Haley." A voice said interrupting his thoughts. He turned his head and saw Candie-at least that's what he thinks her name is._

_"What?" He asked confused._

_"Haley. That's the name of your ex-girlfriend, right?" She asked._

_"Yeah. How did you..."_

_"You sort of called out her name-a couple times." She interrupted._

_"I'm sorry." He said sincerely._

_"It's okay. I didn't expect you to fall in love with me or anything. We were just having a little fun-you know, escaping our lives." She said._

_"Yeah. So, what are you escaping from?" He asked._

_"Aww...well, I am escaping from being little miss perfect." She answered._

_"Oh, you're one of those." He said._

_"Yes, I am. I am daddy's little angel who does nothing wrong." She stated._

_"Please don't tell me you were a virgin last night. I mean, not to come off sounding like a jerk or anything. It's just, I would feel even more guilty if you lost your virginity the way you did." He said._

_"No, I'm not a virgin. I dated someone for three years. We broke up last year." She said._

_"Sorry." He said._

_"Don't be. It was a mutual decision. We fell out of love with one another. We were young and wanted to venture out and explore the world without each other. Why are you feeling so guilty?" She asked._

_"I feel like I just cheated on my ex." He admitted._

_"When did you guys break up?" She asked._

_"Nine months ago." He said letting out a quiet chuckle._

_"That's quite awhile. Don't beat yourself up over it. You didn't cheat on her." She said. An uncomfortable silence drifted into the room as neither one said anything. "I'm sorry." She spoke after a few seconds._

_"What for?" He asked confused._

_"I'm sorry I used your ex to get you into bed. I was a little tipsy, and I was looking for someone-anyone, to sleep with. I shouldn't have said those things." She apologized._

_"It's okay. It wasn't really your fault. I shouldn't have let what you said affect me. I was just feeling so many things that I let my emotions cloud my judgement. The truth is that on some level I wanted to get her out of my head. I miss her so much, and I thought that if I slept with someone I would forget about her. It didn't work. I only feel worse now." He said._

_"Can I give you some advice?" She questioned._

_"Sure, why not?" He responded._

_"If you're feeling this way, maybe you should try to fix things between you two. You're obviously still in love with her. You should try to get her back, before she's completely over you." She suggested._

_"Thanks." He said as silence drifted into the room. "How pathetic are we? Here we are. We just had a one-nightstand, and we're talking about our ex's." He said as they both laughed._

_"Well, at least the sex was good, right?" She joked laughing._

_"Yeah." He agreed while they continued to laugh._

* * *

><p>"Where are they? You wouldn't expect Lucas and Peyton to be late for their own bachelorbachelorette party." Brooke commented taking a seat next to her brother. He was sitting in a booth with Chase, Mia, Skills, Bevin, Jake, and Mouth. There were a bunch of other people in the club tonight. The place was pretty crowded.

"Well, Peyton told me they were having dinner with Haley before coming." Mia said. Brooke immediately looked over at her brother. She watched his face. She could tell he was nervous about seeing Haley. She placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"So, Nate, how are the Knicks going to do next season?" Skills asked.

"I don't know, man." Nathan answered.

"What Skills means is, should he make a wager in favor of you?" Jake jumped in as everyone laughed.

"If I have any say in it-hell yes!" Nathan responded.

"That's what I'm talking about, dawg!" Skills exclaimed.

"Well, well...look who finally decided to grace us with their presence." Mia said as Lucas and Peyton walked up to their table. Nathan looked passed them and saw Haley standing right behind them. He suddenly felt a wave of nervousness pass through his body. She looked beautiful. She was wearing a white strapless v-neck dress which stopped at about her mid-thigh. There was a black belt under her breasts. His eyes traveled down her tan legs until he saw a pair of black heels on her feet. He traveled back up her body. Her hair was straight cut just above her shoulders. It was a darker brown rather than her natural auburn brown color. She looked amazing. "Nathan. Hey, man. It's good to see you." Lucas greeted breaking him of his thoughts and gave him a manly handshake.

"Hey, Lucas. It's good seeing you, too." Nathan said returning the gesture. "So, Saturday's the big day. You excited?" He asked while sneaking a glance back at Haley who was mingling with everyone else. She still had yet to even glance his way or acknowledge his presence.

"Yes, I am. I've been ready for a long time now." Lucas answered. "How was your flight in?" He asked.

"Good and tiring." Nathan responded.

"Hey, Nathan!" Peyton exclaimed capturing him in a hug.

"Hey, Peyton. How are you doing?" He asked.

"Wonderful. I'm ready to have an awesome night with all of my awesome friends." She answered. Everyone continued to greet one another. Nathan watched as Haley was currently hugging Mouth. "Haley James! How's it goin, baby girl?" Skills said pulling her into a hug.

"I'm great. How are you, Skills?" She asked laughing.

"Better now that I've seen your fine ass." He smirked while playfully slapping her ass. Nathan couldn't help but laugh. If it was anyone other than Skills, Mouth, or Jake, he would have been overcome with jealousy. But they have all been friends forever, and Skills was a huge flirt. He flirted with anyone and everyone as long as they had boobs. And he and Bevin are together and in love. He knew it was completely innocent.

"Hey! Watch it, mister. Your girlfriend is here." She said acknowledging Bevin as the two girls embraced in a tight hug.

"Haley, it's so great to see you. I love your magazine!" Bevin gushed. Bevin was the typical "dumb blonde". She was the same age as Haley and Brooke. She was a cheerleader along with Brooke. She was the kind of girl who was extremely ditzy but extremely lovable. She and Haley had always gotten along really well. Haley was the only girl that Bevin didn't act like a complete ditz around when it was just the two of them. Bevin was actually pretty intelligent. She was just lacking a bit in the common sense department.

"Thank you, Bev. It's great seeing you as well." Haley said.

"See something you like there, Nate?" A voice said sliding up beside Nathan. He turned his head and saw Jake standing there.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Nathan dismissed while taking a swig of his beer.

"Haley sure looks good. She looks pretty damn hot, if I may say so myself." Jake commented. He smirked when Nathan sent him a warning glare. "Relax, Nate. She's all yours." He said as they moved their eyes back over to where she was standing. "Or maybe not." Jake commented. He turned his face towards Nathan to gauge his friend's reaction. His jaw was locked, and his eyes turned cold. "You okay, man?" Jake asked.

"I need another drink." Nathan commented before turning around and heading to the bar.

Haley was still talking to Bevin and Skills when she felt someone grab her waist from behind. Letting out a slight squeel, she turned around and saw her best friend. "Julian! What took you so long?" She asked throwing her arms around his neck.

"I've never been here before, and I couldn't find you guys when I got out of the bathroom." He answered wrapping his arms around her waist.

"Well, there's some people I'd like you to meet." She said pulling him around to stand next to her. "Julian, this is Skills and Bevin and Mouth. Guys, this is my best friend, Julian." She introduced. They all greeted one another. Julian, Skills, and Mouth clicked instantly and started up a discussion. "Haley, come with me." Peyton said pulling Haley along with her. They walked until they were standing by the stage. "Haley, this is my maid of honor, Mia Catalano. Mia, this is Lucas's sister, Haley." Peyton introduced.

"It's nice to meet you. I have to say that I love you cd! You have a beautiful voice." Haley said.

"Thanks. I love your magazine. I get great fashion tips from it." Mia said. Just then, someone else came walking up to the three girls. Haley recognized him right away. "Chase? Oh my gosh, is that you?" She asked.

"Yes, it is. How are you doing, Hales?" He asked as the two shared a quick hug.

"I'm great. You?" She asked once they broke apart.

"Can't complain." He stated.

"So, what have you been up to?" She asked.

"I am the bar manager here, and I have the hottest girlfriend." He said sending a wink Mia's way.

"You two are together?" She asked.

"Yup. It's going on, what? A year now?" He asked double-checking with Mia who simply nodded and laughed.

"Wow! Congratulations!" She gushed.

"So, what about you, Miss bigshot magazine editor?" He said.

"What about me?" She laughed.

"Your success is pretty amazing, Hales. Congratulations." He said as she offered a quiet "thank you". "What about guys? Do you have a boyfriend?" He asked.

"Nope. No boyfriend for me." She answered. The three of them continued talking as Peyton rushed back over to where Lucas and Brooke were standing. After a few minutes, Haley made her way over to the bar to grab something to drink. She took a seat on a stool and waited for the bartender to bring her her drink. She felt someone sit in the vacant seat next to hers. She looked to her left and saw Brooke sitting there. She quickly turned her attention back to the other side of the bar. "Hey, Haley." Brooke greeted timidly.

"Hey." Haley returned quietly.

"How have you been?" Brooke asked.

"Good." Haley answered still without looking in her direction.

"You look great, Hales. I love your hair. It makes you look older and more sophisticated." Brooke said still trying.

"Thanks." Haley said still not giving an inch.

"I, umm, I read the article you wrote about me in your magazine last month." Brooke said.

"I didn't write it. I wouldn't write it." Haley said finally looking at her. "One of my employees thought it would be a good idea. I trust them, so I gave her the go-ahead. But that's all it was." She continued.

"Oh, well, it was nice." Brooke stated sadly. She hated this. She didn't blame Haley for being so cold towards her, but she hated it. She wished they could talk about everything-get it all out in the open. She wanted her friend back. "I'm sorry, Haley." She said without even realizing it.

"You're sorry. That's great." Haley stated sarcastically.

"I am sorry." Brooke said sincerely.

"And what exactly are you sorry for? For not being there for me when my parents died? Or for just being an all around bitch?" Haley bit out catching Brooke off gaurd.

"I, umm, I, umm..."

"You know what, Brooke. We don't have to do this. I don't want to fight with you. I'm only here for my brother. And that's it. After this, I'm going back to California." Haley said standing up from her stool.

"Here you go, Haley." The bartender said handing her a cosmo.

"Thanks, Owen." Haley said sweetly taking the drink and handing him the money. "Keep the change." She winked at him as he thanked her and walked away to take care of some other customers. She turned back to Brooke. For a second, she almost let her gaurd down. She saw the tears gleaming in Brooke's eyes and felt bad. But then, her defenses kicked in for why she was so angry with her. "It was really great seeing you, Brooke." She deadpanned before heading off in the opposite direction.

"Yeah." Brooke mumbled before dejectively walking in the direction towards Peyton only to run right into the hard chest of some man. She stumbled back and felt his arms around her waist. "Whoa there. You okay?" He asked.

"Yeah, I'm fi..." She stopped mid-sentence when she looked into his gorgeous brown eyes. "Hi." She greeted shyly.

"Hi." He smiled. For a second, he found himself getting lost in her eyes. He's seen her in magazines, on tv, and in pictures, but she was definitely more beautiful in person. "You okay?" He asked snapping back into reality.

"Yeah, no harm done." She said flashing her gorgeous dimpled smile his way.

"Well, I'll see you around." He said letting go of his hold on her waist. He began to back away when her voice stopped him.

"My name's Brooke." She called out.

"Nice to meet you. My name's J..."

"Julian! There you are. I have been looking all over for you!" Haley said rushing over to him.

"Hey, beautiful." He greeted kissing her gently on the forehead. Brooke watched the scene in front of her and realized this was Julian Baker. Haley's Julian. She's heard of him, but she's actually never seen a picture of him. Feeling even more rejected than before, Brooke turned and walked in the opposite direction.

"So, how are you holding up?" Julian asked.

"I'm hanging in there." Haley answered.

"Have you seen Nathan yet?" He asked cautiously.

"No. Thank goodness!" She said breathing out a sigh of relief. "Are you having fun?" She asked.

"Yeah, I am. Your friends are great, Hales. What about you? You look like you're having a good time." He commented.

"You know, I really am. It's great seeing everyone again. I didn't realizing how much I missed them." She replied.

"So, are you feeling better now about coming home?" He asked.

"I'm getting there." She said. "Let's go dance." She suggested pulling him out onto the dancefloor. The two danced closely together as a fast song sounded through the speakers. Julian was happy that Haley was having a good time. She was carefree and happy. He was glad for that.

Nathan watched them from his seat in the booth. The sight was making him sick. It also didn't help that he's currently drinking his eight beer for the night. He wasn't completely drunk, but he wasn't sober either. He watched the way their bodies grinded together. He watched as Julian leaned in and whispered something in her ear causing her to laugh. He watched the way her face lit up, and her smiled stretched almost the entire length of her face. He couldn't help but think about how he used to be the one who made her smile like that. He used to tell himself that as long as she was happy, then he was happy for her. But that was before he actually saw her. Now, seeing her-wrapped in the arms of another man-it made him sick. It broke his heart.

He felt someone take a seat next to him and turned his head to see his sister. "They look perfect together, right?" She commented.

"Yup. They sure do." He agreed as they both stared in the direction of the dancefloor.

"I tried talking to her." She said.

"Really? How did that go?" He asked.

"Not well. Not well at all." She responded.

"I'm sorry, Brooke." He said sympathetically.

"She hates me." She stated sadly.

"She doesn't hate you. She's just angry and upset." He said trying to make his sister feel better. He placed his hand over hers which was laying on the surface of the table.

* * *

><p>Hours later, everyone was still kicking back having a good time. They were all feeling a little tipsy at this point. Nathan and Brooke have successfully avoided having any run-ins with Haley. Neither wanted to make this night any more uncomfortable for anyone. Nathan walked out of the restroom only to come face to face with Julian.<p>

"Hey, Nathan. It's good to see you again." Julian greeted. He definitely caught the glares Nathan had been sending him all night. He also caught onto the fact that Nathan had been keeping his distance from both him and Haley all night as well.

"Julian." Nathan greeted tightly.

"I saw the commercial the other day on tv." Julian said making conversation.

"Good for you." Nathan bit out.

"Well, I'm just going to..." Julian drifted off while pointing to the bathroom behind Nathan. He walked around him and began to push open the door.

"Don't hurt her." Nathan warned causing Julian to stop and turn back around giving him a confused look. "Haley. Don't hurt her. She's been through a lot." Nathan said.

"Yeah, I know what she's been through. Unlike a certain someone, I've been there for her. You don't have to worry. I'm not the one who's hurt her." Julian responded before departing into the bathroom. Nathan stared at the closed door and watched as more people went in and out of it before slowly turning and pushing his way through the crowd. He reached the table and told everyone he was going to take off. Everyone said their goodbyes. Brooke stood up and gave him a hug asking him how he was going to get home. He told her he had called for a cab. They said goodbye and he once again pushed through the crowd and walked out the exit of the club. He was met with darkness only seeing cars in the packed parking lot. He looked back behind him towards the club entrance while continuing to walk only to slam right into someone. He turned around and saw Haley flat on her ass on the gravel. "Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry. Are you okay?" He asked reaching his hand down to her to help her up.

"I'm fine, no thanks to you." She spat out. She pushed his hand out of the way and helped herself up. She stood straight up and dusted off her dress. "Why don't you freakin watch where you're going?" She said.

"Look, I said I was sorry. I didn't mean it. You don't have to be such a bitch!" He retorted. He couldn't stop the words from pouring out of his mouth. He was tired and drunk, and he just wanted to climb into bed and pass out. He wasn't in the mood to deal with her mood.

"Me? I'm the bitch. Whatever." She scoffed moving to step around him.

"Wait, stop." He commanded softly while reaching out and grabbing her arm. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean that." He said.

"Let go of me." She warned. He let go of her arm as if she had burned him and backed away one step. The two stared at each other for what seemed like hours until a voice sounded. "Hey, beautiful, I was looking for you. Lucas told me you stepped outside for a minute." Julian said walking up to the two of them. He stopped when he noticed she wasn't alone. "Oh, hey, Nathan." He greeted awkwardly.

"Hey. I'm just going to go. Sorry again, Haley." Nathan said before rushing away.

Julian and Haley watched his retreating form until he disappeared from their sight completely. Julian looked over to his best friend and saw her shaken form. "You okay?" He asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine." She said quietly

"Did he say anything to you?" He asked feeling the need to protect her.

"No, he just kicked me when I was already down." She mumbled inaudibly. She closed her eyes for a brief moment before turning to face Julian. "No, he didn't. Let's just get back inside. I'm exhausted. I think I'm going to let Lucas know that I'm heading back to the hotel. Are you ready? If you're not, you're welcome to stay. I can take a cab back." She said.

"No, I'm ready whenever you are." He said. He held out his arm and waited as she looped her arm through his. He, then, led them back into the packed club.

**Okay, so there's another chapter. Everyone is in Tree Hill now. I know the Nathan/Haley interaction wasn't much, but they will actually have a conversation in the next chapter. There will be more flashbacks of Nathan/Haley and Brooke/Haley and Lucas/Nathan. In a few chapters, you will find out why Nathan broke up with Haley. Lucas and Brooke are the only ones who know why Nathan broke up with Haley. There is going to be a lot more Naley interractions, and there will be a Nathan/Julian confrontation coming up as well. There is more drama to come. What's OTH without some drama? LOL! ****I have the next chapter halfway written. I need to add another part. With OTH being on tonight, I probably won't have it up tonight. But definitely tomorrow morning.**

**I'm somewhat looking forward to the episode tonight. I have to say, I was somewhat disappointed in last week's episode. There were way too many flashbacks, and we could have gone without the Quinn ones considering she didn't really have her own storyline going on in the episode. But whatever. The Naley ones were cute. And WTF about no Naley scene with Lydia or at least Nathan with Lydia. I'm a huge fan of the Baley friendship, and I loved that final scene. But seriously, if it was that scene over one with Nathan and Lydia, I would prefer one with Nathan. I guess we'll have to wait and see what tonight holds!**


	7. Chapter 7

_Haley awoke and looked at the clock on the nightstand next to the bed. She groaned when she saw it read just a few minutes after seven in the morning. "So much for actually sleeping in." She scoffed to herself. She looked over to her side and saw Brooke still soundfully sleeping. That girl could sleep through almost anything. Haley envied her so much in that moment. She heard her stomach growl making her realize how hungry she was. She sighed before climbing out of the bed and walked out of the bedroom. She tip-toed passed Nathan's bedroom not wanting to wake him up. She passed Dan and Karen's bedroom not having to worry about them. The two were away on a romantic getaway for the weekend. She made her way down the stairs and into the kitchen._

_She stopped abruptly when she saw him standing bent over rummaging through the refrigerator. 'Of course, he has to be shirtless.' She thought to herself. She couldn't stop her eyes from traveling down his body. He was wearing nothing but some basketball shorts and some socks and tennis shoes. She traveled back up his body and stared at his bare arms and shoulders slick with sweat. 'God, he does have one amazing body." She thought and watched as he grabbed a bottled water and closed the refrigerator door. She watched as he chugged the entire thing before turning. She watched as he turned to his right and instantly jumped._

_"Jeez, Hales! Are you trying to give me a heart attack?" He asked holding his hand over his heart._

_"Sorry. I didn't know you were in here. I thought you were asleep." She apologized walking further into the kitchen trying to shake off whatever thoughts she was just thinking about._

_"Has anyone ever told you that you are very light on your feet? Make a little more noise, next time." He said as they both laughed._

_"I will keep that in mind." She said making her way over to the pantry. "So, just get back from a run?" She asked._

_"What made you think that? Was it my basketball shorts or my shoes? Or was it my hot, sweaty body?" He said smugly. __She scoffed and rolled her eyes. "You know it's true, Hales. I caught you staring. Actually, I think drooling is the more appropriate term." He smirked._

_"Don't flatter yourself. I was not drooling." She said pulling a box of cereal out of the pantry and heading over to a cupbard for a bowl._

_"Oh, Hales. You have nothing to be embarrassed about. I have a nice body. I don't mind if you look or even touch. I don't even mind if you want to taste. Do you want a little taste, Hales?" He said seductively._

_"No, I do..." She turned around only to meet his bare chest. She slowly ran her eyes up his chest until she was staring directly into his eyes. 'God, he had the most gorgeous blue eyes.' She thought. The two stared at one another both feeling a sudden change in the atmosphere around them. Her heart began to beat a little faster when she saw his tongue dart out of his mouth and lick his lips. She looked back up to his eyes, but his eyes were no longer on hers. He was staring at her lips. She waited in anticipation as he leaned forward very slowly. Once he got even closer, she closed her eyes._

_Ring Ring_

_The sound of the phone snapped them both back into reality as they quickly broke away from one another. Haley moved to grab some milk out of the refrigerator. 'What the hell just happened? This is Nathan. He's my best friend's brother. He's one of my brother's best friends. This is Nathan. No, it wasn't anything. We were just caught up in the moment. Yup, __that's all it was.' She thought to herself._

_She took a seat at the counter and began eating her cereal as Nathan continued talking on the phone. She could tell he was talking to his parents. She knew it was Karen. He was using his soft, sweet voice. She knew how much Nathan loved and respected his mom. Her thoughts broke when she heard the tone of his voice change. She saw his face and the way his jaw was locked. His whole body was tense. She now knew he talking to his dad._

_"Yes, dad. I just got back from a run...No, I didn't slack...It was five miles...I am working hard..."_

_Haley listened to Nathan's side of the conversation and felt horrible for him. Dan always pushed Nathan so hard. Nathan worked harder than anyone she's ever met, but it still never seemed to be enough for his dad. She flinched when she heard the phone slam down on the counter. "God! It's never enough!" He yelled causing her to flinch again._

_"Are you okay?" She asked carefully. He didn't say anything in response. She looked up and saw him hovering over the counter. She stood up and walked over to him and placed a comforting hand on his back. "Nathan, don't listen to him." She said softly._

_"It's too much. The pressure's too much." He said shaking his head. "I don't know, sometimes I think it would be easier if I just quit right now. I'm only a sophomore. It's not like the scouts are looking at me right now. I don't know what he expects from me." He continued._

_"Nathan, he's only pushing you to make you better. Don't talk about quitting basketball. You love the game. Don't let him take that from you." She said._

_"Thanks, Hales." He said pulling her into his arms. The two held each other for a couple minutes. Nathan closed his eyes when he felt her soft hands running up and down his bare back causing him to shiver slightly. He didn't know if she realized what she was doing. Of course, she didn't. She was so innocent. She couldn't possibly know what she was doing to him right now. He couldn't believe the thoughts running through his mind about her. 'This is Haley. She is my sister's best friend. She is the sister of one of my best friends. She is only in middle school. She is only fourteen. But I had just turned sixteen. There is only a two year difference. When you say it like that, it's not so bad. And in four months, she will officially be in high school...'_

_"I hope I'm not interrupting anything." A voice sounded interrupting his thoughts and their embrace. They both turned and saw Brooke standing in the doorway with a smirk planted on her face that they both wanted to smack off._

_"No, of course not." Nathan dismissed._

_"Yeah, we were just talking." Haley dismissed as well and went back to eating her cereal._

_"Riiiight." Brooke said walking over to the cupbard located near the sink where Nathan was standing. She stared him down as she reached up for a glass._

_"What?" He shot out in irritation. She didn't say anything. She just quirked an eyebrow and smirked at him. He rolled his eyes before walking away. "I'm taking a shower." He called walking out of the kitchen and disappearing from their sight. Brooke smiled before cutting her eyes over to Haley._

_"What?" Haley asked._

_"Oh, nothing." Brooke said walking over to the pantry._

Haley awoke feeling completely refreshed and ready to start her day. She climbed out of the bed careful not to wake Julian up and headed to take a shower. She was supposed to meet Peyton for her dress fitting. She wanted to get an early start and grab some breakfast. She knew Brooke would probably be there as well considering she's the one who made the dress. She needed all of the extra energy she could muster. After showering, she dressed herself in a denim mini skirt and a light pink v-neck sweater with a white cami underneath. She threw on some jewelry and her pink flip flops to finish her outfit. She straightened her hair and did her makeup with neutral colors. She wrote a note for Julian explaining where she was and left it on the nightstand next to the bed. She grabbed her purse and left the room and hotel.

Five minutes later, she found herself standing outside of Karen's Cafe. She smiled remembering all of the memories she had from this place. She took a deep breath before walking through the doors and came in contact with that familiar scent and closed her eyes.

"Haley! Oh my gosh, is that you?" A voice exclaimed.

Haley opened her eyes and smiled when she saw Karen rushing over to her. The two embraced in a tight hug. She and Karen have always been close. Karen was like a second mother to her. She's known her since she met Brooke in kindergarten. Karen gave Haley her first job here. And when she started dating Nathan, Karen was so supportive and loving. Even after they broke up, Karen comforted her and offered words of encouragement.

"Hi, Karen." She greeted. The two pulled out of their embrace to look at one another.

"Oh, look at you. You're all grown up." Karen said with tears in her eyes. "You look so beautiful." She gushed.

"Thanks, Karen. Gosh, it's so good to see you." Haley said.

"I was so excited when I heard you were coming home for Lucas's wedding! Come sit down. Are you hungry? Do you want some breakfast?" Karen asked pulling Haley to the counter and ordering her to sit down.

"Well, I am hungry." Haley stated.

"Let me guess, you want a ham and cheese omlet with a couple pieces of bacon and wheat toast. And a big glass of oj."  
>Karen said.<p>

"You remember." Haley said.

"Of course, I remember. Let me just go put this order in. I'll be right back." Karen said winking at the girl before walking to the back. Seconds later, she returned setting some orange juice down in front of her. "So, what are you out and about doing today?" She asked.

"I have to go try on my dress for the wedding." Haley answered.

"Oh, they're really lovely. You girls are all going to look so beautiful." Karen gushed. "And Peyton's dress is really amazing. She's going to make a beautiful bride. Your brother is one lucky guy." She said.

"I know. I'm so excited for them. Just one more day. It's weird. I feel like they've already been married for years considering how long they've been together. But at the same time, I can't believe they're getting married. Hopefully, soon they'll make me an aunt." Haley said.

"Yeah, that'll be nice. So, how are you doing? You've been quite successful with that magazine of yours. We're all so very proud of you." Karen said.

"Thanks. I'm doing great. I love my magazine, and I love my life. Everything is just so wonderful right now." Haley said.

"So, what about a boyfriend? Are you dating anyone right now?" Karen asked with a raised eyebrow.

"No, I'm not. I don't really have time for boys and dating." Haley answered. Karen nodded her head and had to fight off the smile that was threatening to invade her face. She knew that didn't necessarily mean anything. But she couldn't help but think how much easier hearing those words were going to make everything. There wasn't anyone else standing in the way of Nathan and Haley finding each other again. It's just the two of them-nobody else to interfere.

"Seriously? A girl as beautiful as you are doesn't have a boyfriend. It's a shame. The boys don't know what they're missing out on. Kind of like my son." Karen mumbled.

"Karen, I, umm..." Haley stammered. She didn't want this conversation to turn into one about the relationship, or lack there of, between she and Nathan.

"Don't worry about it. Forget I even said anything." Karen dismissed sensing the girl's uncomfortableness.

"Thank you, Karen." Haley said quietly as Karen nodded in understanding.

* * *

><p>"Hey, mom." Nathan greeted walking into the cafe and taking a seat down at the counter. Karen turned around surprised to see her son. Her mind went crazy realizing that Haley was still there in the bathroom.<p>

"Hey, honey. How's it going?" She asked while keeping a close eye for any sign of Haley.

"It's going." He answered.

"You feeling okay? It sounds like you had a late night. And I happened to notice you pulling up in a cab and not your car. Well, at least you were smart enough not to drive home." She said.

"Mom, you worry too much. I was fine. I was a little drunk, but nothing bad happened." He dismissed.

"It doesn't matter how old you get, I will always worry about you and your sister." She said as he rolled his eyes. "So, how was it last night?" She asked.

"It was fun. Everyone had a great time." He answered vaguely.

"And did you see Haley?" She asked looking towards the bathroom door.

"Yup." He answered.

"And did you talk to Haley?" She asked.

"Yup." He answered.

"Well, what happened?" She prodded.

"Nothing, okay. We talked. We fought. I left. That's all." He said.

"You guys fought? What happened?" She questioned.

"It wasn't really anything. I ran into her outside. I mean, I literally ran into her. She fell. I tried to help her up, but she had a bit of an attitude. I yelled at her. She yelled at me. Her boyfriend interrupted us. And, then, I left." He explained quickly.

"Her boyfriend?" She asked confused.

"Yeah, her boyfriend from California. He came home with her. He was there with her last night. It's over, mom. Haley and I are over." He said.

Karen stood there thinking about his words. She was confused. Haley had just told her that wasn't dating anyone. Did Haley lie to her? Maybe she told her that because of Nathan. Karen was so engrossed in her thoughts, she failed to see Haley walking out of the bathroom and heading her way.

"Thanks for break..." Haley stopped mid-sentence when she saw Nathan sitting in the stool next to the one she was sitting in. "Oh, hey, Nathan." She said quietly.

"Hey." He greeted just as surprised as she was.

It seemed as if everything around them had frozen in its place. Nathan took the opportunity to sweep his eyes up and down the length of her body. 'God, she's beautiful.' He thought. He still couldn't believe she was actually standing right in front of him. He wanted to reach out and touch her just to make sure this was real. He caught her gaze and sent a small smile her way. He sighed silently as Haley turned away abruptly.

"Karen, I'm gonna go. Thanks for breakfast." Haley said grabbing her purse off the counter.

"Okay, sweetie." Karen replied.

"Bye, Nathan." Haley said while rushing out of the cafe.

"Bye, Haley." He whispered after the door closed. A second later, he felt his mother's hand on his shoulder.

"Hang in there, honey." Karen said as he turned around and have her a soft smile.

* * *

><p>Haley walked into the backroom at Tric and noticed Peyton sitting behind her desk. "Hey, Peyton." She greeted.<p>

"Hey. You're here! I'm so excited!" Peyton said standing up.

"I'm here!" Haley mock-exclaimed.

"Watch it, Hales." Peyton warned.

"I'm kidding. So, where's the dress?" Haley asked. Peyton grabbed the dress and brought it over to her. She unzipped the bag revealing a black strapless dress which flowed down to the ground. There wasn't any detail on it or anything. It was simple and elegant. "Of course, it's gotta be black." Haley teased as Peyton shoved her. "It's gorgeous."

"Okay, well, let's get this thing on you. Brooke will be here any minute to make any adjustments." Peyton said as Haley began undressing. She slipped on the dress as Peyton zipped her up in the back. "How's it feel?" Peyton asked.

"It's a little tight around my boobs." Haley commented turning around. Peyton could tell from looking at her that the dress was indeed a little tighter in her chest area. It didn't look bad, though. In fact, it actually made her breasts look pretty damn good.

"Your boobs look awesome!" Peyton commented.

"Shut up!" Haley exclaimed while covering her chest with her arms.

"Oh, stop. They look hot." Peyton laughed.

"I'm here!" Brooke exclaimed walking into the studio. Peyton immediately went to greet her while Haley looked away. She took a deep breath and started smoothing out her dress. "How's the dress." Brooke asked.

"It's nice. You did a great job with the dresses, Brooke." Haley praised quietly.

"Thanks, Haley." Brooke smiled in appreciation. "I must say, your boobs look..."

"See, I told you." Peyton interrupted.

"Oookay, does everything look okay?" Haley asked after rolling her eyes.

"I think it looks perfect." Brooke said.

"You look...you look so beautiful. Both of you look so beautiful in your dresses." Peyton gushed as she started crying. "I'm sorry, I just can't believe I'm getting married." She said while smiling at her two friends.

"You're getting married." Haley stated smiling at her soon to be sister-in-law.

"Thank you both so much for coming here and being my bridesmaids. I really appreciate it. And Lucas really appreciates it as well." Peyton said in gratitude.

"Wouldn't miss it for the world." Haley said.

"Me, too." Brooke agreed. Peyton excused herself to go to the bathroom leaving Brooke and Haley completely alone. Their was an awkward silence that drifted into the room. Brooke looked at Haley and noticed her looking anywhere else but at her. "Haley, do you think maybe we could talk? I mean, could we get some lunch after this and talk?" Brooke asked taking a chance.

Haley looked at her not knowing what to say. Her first instinct was to say no. But she couldn't deny there was a small part of her that wanted to say yes. As if on cue, her cell phone started to ring. "I'm sorry. I have to get that." She said.

"Of course." Brooke said quietly.

Haley sent a small nod her way before rushing to pick up her phone. "Hey, Julian." She greeted.

Brooke smiled softly before walking away to give Haley some privacy. She walked out of the studio and into the club while running into Peyton. "Hey, is it too early to fix myself a drink?" She somewhat joked.

"I would say so. What's wrong? Haley?" Peyton deduced.

"Yeah." Brooke confirmed quietly.

"Brooke, she'll come around. Haley's just a very gaurded person. Ever since Jimmy and Lydia died, she's been very shut down. Lucas isn't even able to break through those barriers. Julian seems to be the only one who can. But she's trying. She's just really hurt and angry still. But, Brooke, she loves you. She'll forgive you." Peyton tried to reassure.

"So, what should I do? Should I keep trying or give her some space?" Brooke asked.

"Honestly, I don't know. Maybe a little bit of both. I would keep trying, but if she seems to be about ready to blow up, I would back off and give her some space." Peyton responded.

"Okay." Brooke replied quietly. "You know, she's always been there for me. And the one time she really needed me, I wasn't there for her."

_"So, are you ready for your birthday?" Haley asked looping her arm through Brooke's as they walked around the mall._

_"Yes, I'm so excited!" Brooke exclaimed._

_"What are your birthday plans?" Haley asked._

_"Well, first, you will be meeting my parents and I for brunch at the country club." Brooke began as Haley nodded. "You and I are going to work on our tans by the pool. And then, Felix is taking me out for a romantic dinner." She said with a twinkle in her eyes._

_Haley cringed a little. She didn't really care for Felix. He was cocky, and she didn't like the way he treated her best friend. __He and Brooke have been dating for about six months. When they first started going out, Haley expressed her concerns to Brooke. Brooke listened and appreciated her for talking to her, but she asked her to trust her. She told her that Felix was really sweet and caring once you got to know him. So, Haley said she would give him a chance, and she'd be there if Brooke needed her._

_"That sounds fun. You're going to be seventeen." Haley stated in disbelief._

_"I know. In a year and a half, you and I are going to be in college. It seems so crazy." Brooke said._

_"Time flies when you're having fun." Haley said as they laughed and continued shopping._

_The next night, Haley was down in her basement working on her homework. She had just finished talking to Nathan. She was pretty exhausted. She met Dan, Karen, and Brooke earlier for brunch at the country club. After eating, she and Brooke laid by the pool soaking up some sun. After, they went and got massages, facials, manicures, and pedicures. Once that was finished, it was already about twenty till five. Felix was picking Brooke up at six o'clock for their date. The two girls went back to Brooke's house to get her ready. After Felix and Brooke left, Haley was finally able to come back home. She took a shower, ate supper, and traveled down to the basement to watch some television and do some homework. Lucas was stay__ing with Peyton. And their parents were staying in Charlotte for the weekend._

_Haley looked at her cell phone and saw it was thirteen minutes till one in the morning. She set her books on the coffee table, flicked off the tv, grabbed her cell phone, and headed up the stairs. She made sure all of the lights were off before heading up the other stairs towards her bedroom. She walked into her room and saw Brooke laying on her bed crying._

_"Brooke?" She said concerned while rushing over to her bed. She took a seat and placed her hand on her back. Brooke immediately sat up and wrapped her arms around Haley's waist and resting her head on her chest. The only sounds in the room were her cries. "Brooke, what happened?" Haley asked gently._

_"You were right." Brooke said._

_"Right about what?" Haley asked confused._

_"Felix." Brooke said._

_"Brooke, what did he do?" Haley asked feeling her temper rising._

_"We went to dinner. It was so romantic and sweet. He was so sweet. We decided to go back to his house. His parents weren't home. We were in his room making out. Our making out began to escalate. He stopped, stared into my eyes, and told me he loved me. I about melted. I realized I wanted so much more. I felt so ready. I had never been so sure about something in my life. I knew I wouldn't have any regrets. He kissed me so passionately. Once we broke apart, I told him I was ready. He asked me if I was sure, and I told him yes. Then, we finished off our night. It was amazing. He was so gentle and so loving. It was perfect. It was just how I imagined losing my virginity would be. We fell asleep cuddled in one another's arms. I woke up when I felt him climbing out of the bed. I looked over and saw him getting dressed. He wouldn't even look at me. He told me that I needed to go before his parents came back home. And then he said that he didn't want to be in a steady relationship anymore and broke up with me. I froze. At first, I thought he was joking. But then, he threw my clothes onto the bed before walking out of the bedroom. I quickly got dressed and left. I didn't have a car, so I started walking. I couldn't go home. I couldn't. So, I came here." Brooke explained as her cries turned into heavy sobs._

_Haley held onto her friend tighter wanting to take her pain away. Her heart broke at seeing her best friend this way. She closed her eyes and rested her face against Brooke's hair. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Brooke." She said with such emotion._

_"I'm such an idiot." She heard Brooke mumble._

_"No, you are not. You hear me, you are not an idiot. This was not your fault. He's an asshole who doesn't deserve you." __Haley said. Haley held onto Brooke until she had fallen asleep. She gently pried her off of her body before quietly easing herself out of the bedroom._

_Brooke awoke and looked around for Haley. Just as she was about to climb out of the bed, she saw Haley walking into the bedroom. She was holding a cupcake in her hand with one lit candle on the top. "Make a wish." Haley said sitting next to her on the bed. Brooke closed her eyes, made a wish, and blew out the candle. She looked up and smiled at her best friend._

_"Brooke, you have been my best friend for eleven years now. You are the sister I never had. You are the girl I turn to for almost everything. I will always be here for you just like you have always been here for me. You are amazing. You are beautiful and smart and loving. You are bubbly and carefree. You have such an infectious personality, and everyone loves you. You are talented. And you are going to have your own fashion line someday, just you wait and see. You are crazy and psychotic, and I mean that in a good way. And those are just a few of the many, many traits that I admire. I love you so much, Brooke Penelope Scott. Happy belated birthday." Haley said._

_"Thank you. I love you, too." Brooke said with tears in her eyes. However, unlike her previous tears, these were happy. She threw her arms around her best friend as they embraced one another tightly._

_"Hoes before bros." Haley said._

_"Clothes over bros." Brooke said._

_"BFF's forever." They both said sharing a small laugh at their cheesiness._

* * *

><p>Julian finished buttoning up his shirt as Haley walked out of the bathroom. She was dressed in a v-neck, halter top dress that cut at the knees. There was a lace lining which flowed slightly. The dress was brown, except the halter strings were cream. There was a cream band underneath the breasts and cream running down the center of the dress. A portion of the fabric covering the breasts was also a cream color. The v-neck neckline allowed a considerable amount of cleavage to be shown. She had the dress paired with a pair of brown heels on her feet. She had a bracelet made with three pearl bands and matching pearl earings. Her hair was down with a wavy look.<p>

"You look gorgeous, beautiful." Julian commented taking in the sight of his best friend.

"Thanks. You don't look too bad yourself." She said.

"Are you ready?" He asked.

"Yes, I am." She answered as he led her out of the room and out of the hotel.

Minutes later, they arrived at the church. Everyone was already there except for Nathan. He sent a text message to Lucas saying he would be there in five minutes. Everyone greeted one another as they waited. Peyton forgot something in the car, and Haley offered to go get it for her. She shut the car door and turned around to see Nathan stepping out of his car. "Hey." She greeted politely.

"Hey. You look amazing." He said not being able to take his eyes off of her.

"Thanks." She said quietly.

"Hey, I'm sorry again for last night." He apologized.

"It's okay. It was an accident, and you didn't mean it. I'm sorry I snapped at you." She responded.

"It's okay. Nothing I didn't deserve." He mumbled. He moved his eyes to hers and it looked as if she was about to say something, but she quickly shut her mouth and glanced away. He sensed how uncomfortable she was and stuck out his hand in front of him offering her to walk ahead of him into the church. "Thank you." She said in gratitude and began walking. He was quick to follow closely behind her. They walked into the church and all eyes seemed to be on them. They looked around and could see the confusion and shock on everyone's faces. Haley found Julian and walked faster over to him.

"Everything okay?" He whispered into her ear. She smiled at him and nodded.

Nathan kept his focus on Haley as she walked over to Julian. He felt a small pang of hurt and jealousy course through his body as Julian bent down and whispered something into her ear. He closed his eyes for a brief moment before opening them and making his way over to where everyone else stood. Shortly later, the actual rehearsal began. The guys lined up at the alter standing in the order of Lucas, Jake, Nathan, Mouth, and Skills. The girls lined up ready to descend down the aisle. Bevin walked first, then Brooke, followed by Haley, and lastly Mia. Once everyone was standing at the alter, Peyton walked down the aisle. The minister ran through what was going to be said during the ceremony. Nathan kept stealing glances at Haley. He laughed when he saw the tears in her eyes and wondered how she was going to be during the actual ceremony.

Haley felt someone watching her and turned her eyes and saw Nathan. He sent her a small smile which she reciprocated. Feeling her gaurds come back up, she cut her eyes back to Lucas and Peyton. She didn't dare look at Nathan again for the rest of the rehearsal. When it came time to walk down the aisle, Haley realized she was paired with Nathan. She silently cursed both Lucas and Peyton in her head. 'I can do this. It's just a short walk down the aisle. It's no big deal. I can do this.' She mentally told herself. She watched as Nathan held out his arm for her. She met his eyes briefly before looping her arm through his as he led her down the aisle.

* * *

><p>"Haley, are Millie and Alex going to come to the wedding tomorrow?" Lucas asked. Everyone was now sitting in the restaurant eating and drinking. Haley and Julian were sitting next to one another. Lucas and Peyton were sitting across from them. Nathan was sitting next to Lucas while Brooke was sitting next to her brother. Everyone else were gathered all around them.<p>

"Yes, they are. They're really excited. They've been wanting to see where I grew up for some time now." Haley answered laughing.

"Who are Millie and Alex?" Brooke asked curiously.

"They're Haley's roomates." Lucas answered. Nathan couldn't help but smile when he heard that. He thought that Haley and Julian were actually living together. Hearing those words, made this night a little more bearable. Ever since everyone arrived at the restaurant, he hasn't really been able to take his eyes off of Julian and Haley. It was like torture to be sitting here this close to them.

"So, Julian, I saw your movie the other day. It was pretty good. When can we expect the next one?" Jake asked.

"When I find out, I'll let you know." Julian answered as everyone laughed. Everyone except Nathan.

"Actually, Julian is working on something. My roomate, Alex, has written a screenplay, and she and Julian are trying to make it into a movie. It's really amazing." Haley spoke up.

"That's awesome." Peyton said.

"We'll see." Julian commented. He looked over and saw Nathan glaring at him. He was beginning to grow tired of Nathan's behavior towards him. Normally, he was a pretty passive person. He decided that if Nathan was going to be glaring at him all night, he would actually give him a reason to. He saw Haley's hand was resting on the table. He looked at Nathan real quickly before enclosing her hand within his. He looked back to Nathan and saw him staring at their joined hands. He knew he was pissed off. He could tell by the way his jaw was locked and the dark color of his eyes. Even better was when Haley turned her head towards him and leaned in to give him a chaste kiss on the cheek before turning her attention back to her conversation with Bevin. He looked back over to Nathan who was staring at Haley with a hurt expression on his face. Julian actually felt somewhat bad, but he was tired of it. He did nothing to Nathan except befriend his ex-girlfriend.

"Hey, Nate. You going to take the Knicks all the way next season?" Lucas asked.

"I don't know." Nathan answered quietly. He was tired. All he wanted was to go home and go to bed. He glanced up and caught Haley's gaze. He felt the butterflies in his stomach as she sent him a small smile. He couldn't help but feel like that tiny gesture was some sort of glimmer of hope that she didn't completely hate him.

* * *

><p>A couple hours later, everyone found themselves at the beach. The alcohol was flowing while everyone was conversing with one another. Nathan was sitting with Jake and Lucas talking sports. He was actually listening more than talking. He looked over and watched Haley laughing with Mia. She looked so carefree and happy. He moved his line of sight over a little further down and noticed Julian talking with his sister. He scowled when he realized they looked more to be flirting than actually talking. He looked back over to Haley who seemed to be completely oblivious to it. He once again shifted his eyes back to Julian and Brooke. He watched as she placed her hand on his chest and let it linger there for just a bit too long. <em>'What the hell is he doing? What the hell is she doing?'<em> He thought angrily. He could tell his sister was a little on the tipsy side, but still. This was Haley's boyfriend. And Haley was Brooke's best friend. He wanted to march over to them, but he didn't want to cause a scene. He looked over to Haley and noticed that she was gone. She was no longer sitting next to Mia. He looked around in search of her and couldn't find her talking to anyone. He scanned the beach and noticed a lone figure walking along the edge of the water. He knew immediately that it was her. He excused himself and went after her.

Haley needed some fresh air which sounded weird considering they were already outside. But she needed a few moments of peace. Grabbing her shoes, she excused herself and decided to take a stroll along the water. A couple minutes passed when she heard footsteps behind her. She didn't have to look to know who's they belonged to. She already knew. Soon enough, he was standing right next to her. The two didn't say anything. They just continued to walk along the shoreline. Nathan looked over and saw her rubbing her hand up and down her arm. He quickly shed out of his suit jacket and handed it over to her.

"You don't have to do that." She said.

"I know, but I want to." He said. He walked in front of her causing her to stop. He reached around her and draped the jacket around her back as she slid her arms through the sleeves. She looked up and realized just how closely they were standing. For a second, she got lost in his piercing blue eyes. "Thank you." She said almost inaudibly.

"You're welcome." He returned. The two broke out of their trance and continued their stroll along the water side by side. "So, when do you go back to California?" He asked.

"Well, originally on Sunday. But now..."

"Now what?" He prodded.

"Now, I don't know. I was thinking about staying an extra couple of weeks. Lucas and Peyton are going on their honeymoon next week and coming back the following. I wanted to spend some time with Lucas and well, everyone else." She answered. "I don't know, though. I have to get back to work." She added.

"You should stay." He immediately said.

"What about you? When do you go back to New York?" She asked.

"In a couple of months. I'm in my off-season right now, and all I have to do is keep in shape. I can do that here this summer. My agent doesn't know yet. And I'm sure he'll be on the first flight here when he finds out. I just kind of need a break." He answered.

"A break from basketball?" She asked.

"Not really basketball, but the life that comes with being an NBA star." He clearified as they once again found themselves in silence.

"I'll probably go back to California on Sunday." She said.

"Haley, don't. If I wasn't staying, would you go back?" He asked. She hesitated before nodding her head no. "Don't leave town because of me. I'll stay out of your way. I won't bother you. I know Lucas really enjoys having you home. Do it for him, and just forget about me." He said.

"I already have forgotten about you." She said somewhat coldly.

"I'm sorry, Haley." He apologized quietly.

"What exactly are you sorry for?" She challenged.

"Everything." He answered.

"You should have been here." She said quietly.

"I know." He mumbled instantly knowing what she was talking about.

"Then, why weren't you? I needed you!" She cried feeling her anger rising. She waited for him to respond, but he said nothing. "Why weren't you here?" She asked as the tears flowed down her face.

"I didn't think you'd want to see me." He said.

"Of course, I wanted to see you. I needed you. I needed you and Brooke, and neither of you were here. They were my parents. And they died." She said crying even harder.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Haley." He said desperately.

"It didn't matter if we weren't together anymore. I needed you to hold me in your arms while I cried. I needed you to tell me that everything was going to be okay. Before we were we, we were friends. I needed my friend. I needed you to tell me you loved me even if it was only platonically." She said.

"You had Lucas and...and Julian." He said.

"Don't you get it? I needed you." She said.

The look on Haley's face and the words coming out of her mouth were breaking Nathan's heart. He wanted to comfort her and he wanted to tell her how sorry he was. He didn't have the right words for her right now. He didn't know how she felt. If he would have know all of this back then, he would have come back. He would have dropped everything and been there for her. The truth was, he was going to come back. He was all packed and had his flight all booked. But then, he let his jealousy get the best of him.

_"Hello?" A somber voice greeted._

_"Hey, Luke. It's Nathan." Nathan greeted quietly._

_"Hey, Nate." Lucas said sadly._

_"I heard what happened. I am so sorry. How are you holding up?" Nathan asked sympathetically._

_"I don't know, man. It's hard. It's really hard. I just...I was just home this past weekend for a visit. I just saw them. They were just here." Lucas paused as he felt his tears beginning again. "It's just still hard to believe. I keep thinking I'm going to wake up at any second, and this will all be over. I'll realize it was all just a horrible dream." He continued._

_"I'm sorry, Luke." Nathan said._

_"It's okay. It'll get better eventually." Lucas said._

_"How's Haley doing?" Nathan asked with a tone full of concern._

_"Not good-not good at all. She's taking it pretty hard. She hasn't left her room since arriving home a couple days ago. I don't know-she's shutting down." Lucas said. Nathan closed his eyes. He hated hearing this. He hated hearing how much pain she was in. "It's a really good thing Julian came home with her. He's like the only person who seems to be getting through to her right now." Lucas continued._

_"Julian?" Nathan questioned._

_"Yeah, they met at Stanford. They've been inseparable since their freshmen year. He's been really great and supportive right now. He hasn't left her side except to get her something to eat or drink. It's good, because I don't know how to get through to her. And I probably wouldn't be any help right now anyway considering I'm practically feeling the same way. I'm glad he's here. She really needed him." Lucas said._

_"That...that's good that she has him." Nathan stammered out quietly._

_"The funeral's tomorrow. Are you going to be able to make it?" Lucas asked._

_"Oh, umm, I'm stuck in Miami. I can't get a flight out. I'm sorry." Nathan lied. He hated himself in that moment. But he couldn't go back there and see her being taken care of by another guy. If they've been together since freshman year, then she probably doesn't think about him or miss him. And she probably doesn't want to talk to him. He figured it was best to just leave them be at a time like this. He didn't want to make this harder for her by suddenly showing up after three years._

_"It's okay. You can't control life. I just appreciate you calling. It means a lot to me. Thanks." Lucas said in appreciation._

_"You don't even have to say it." Nathan said. "How long are you going to be in Tree Hill? I have a break coming up soon. I'm going to try to come home for a couple days." He said._

_"I'm probably going to be here for awhile. I talked to my professors already. I'm in my last year at UNC, and they arranged it so I can finish off my last semester in Tree Hill. I'm going to do some on-line and through the mail courses. I have to take care of my parent's will. Peyton's going to do the same thing. She's going to stay here with me. There's just a lot to take care of." Lucas explained._

_"Well, I'm going to try to come soon, okay?" Nathan said._

_"Thanks, Nate. Well, I better let you go. Thanks for calling." Lucas said._

_"You're welcome. I'll talk to you later." Nathan said._

_"Bye." Lucas said as they both ended the call._

"I'm sorry, Haley. You're right. I should have been here. I'm so sorry." Nathan apologized snapping out of his memory.

"It's too late now. It's too late to hear your apologies." Haley said.

"No, it's not. Haley, please. I think about you all the time. I miss you so much. I..." Nathan was stopped when her hand slapped him hard across the face. He closed his eyes for a moment letting the pain of not just the stinging on his cheek but the pain of everything sink in.

"You don't get to say that to me. You don't get to stand here and tell me how much you miss me and think about me. It's not fair." She cried.

"Haley, please." He pleaded.

"No! I'm tired of this. I'm tired of feeling this way. It's too late for you to feel remorse. I've moved on, and I won't go back. The only reason I'm here is for Lucas's wedding. I'm leaving on Sunday. I'm going back to my life that doesn't include you. Please just leave me alone until then. Please. I can't take anymore." She cried before running off back to where everyone else was.

Nathan sadly watched her retreating form. His heart broke. He wanted to make all of the pain go away-hers and his. He hated this. He hated himself for causing all of this. He wished he could go back and change everything. He sat down on the sand and stared out at the water. He couldn't believe this was his life. Years ago, he couldn't even imagine his life without her. Now, he was living it. And he hated every minute of it. He sat there for a couple minutes before his cellphone went off. He rolled his eyes when he saw it was Clay. "What's up, Clay?" He greeted.

"Hey, Nate. How's Tree Hill?" Clay asked.

"It's fine." Nathan answered vaguely.

"Nate, you are so damn annoying. Can your answers be any more vague?" Clay laughed.

"Sorry, Clay. I just haven't had a very good night." Nathan apologized.

"Sorry. Well, you'll be home in a couple of days." Clay said.

"Yeah, about that..."

"What's going on?" Clay asked.

"I've decided to stay here for a few more months." Nathan revealed.

"I'm sorry, but it sounded like you just said months." Clay said.

"I did. Look, Clay, I'm in my off-season. I just need to keep in shape. I can do that here in Tree Hill. I just want to spend some time with my family and friends right now." Nathan said.

"Nate, I don't think that's such a good idea." Clay said.

"I'm not asking for your permission." Nathan retorted.

"Nate, you better stay in shape while you're there." Clay warned.

"I will." Nathan said.

"Fine. I'll see you in a few days, then." Clay said.

"Okay, than...wait, what?" Nathan asked confused.

"I'm coming to Tree Hill. You're my best client, and I need to make sure it stays that way. You want to stay there for a few months-fine. Stay. But I am coming to make sure you stay in shape. I'm not going to let you get distracted. I'm not asking for your permission. I'm coming." Clay said.

"Fine. Whatever." Nathan mumbled too tired to argue with him.

**So, the next chapter includes the wedding and the reception. There's going to be some Nathan/Lucas bonding and of course, Nathan and Haley. Let me know what you guys think. I don't know if I'll be able to get another chapter up today. But if not-definitely tomorrow! Thank you so much for the reviews and other alerts. I love opening my e-mail and seeing them!**

**Last night's episode wasn't too bad. It could have been better, could have been worse. At least there was a Nathan/Lydia scene, even though it was small and vague. At least there was one! I'm really not liking the Rivercourt being torn down. It represents everything about One Tree Hill. If it really does get torn down, I hope there's at least a scene there with Nathan, Haley, Brooke, Mouth, Skills, Junk, and Fergie. Even Chase has some small tie to it. I won't comment about Quinn's singing, but I still love her friendship with Alex. And Jana is such a great singer, but I also love country music! I wasn't at all surprised it was Ian who hit Brooke and Jamie. I knew his dad was covering for him. As much as I hate this storyline, I kind of am looking forward to next week's episode to see what happens. Anyway, hopefully I'll have another update soon.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey, everyone. Sorry for not putting this up the other day. This chapter is shorter than the previous ones. It's basically a filler chapter. There isn't much drama. It's just covering the wedding/reception. I wanted to get passed this before I start on the drama.**

"Hey, Luke. You ready?" Nathan asked walking into one of the backrooms of the church. He saw Lucas standing in front of a mirror fixing his tie.

"Hey, Nate. Yes, I'm more than ready. I've been waiting for this day for a long time." Lucas answered smiling.

"You are so gone." Nathan said as the two laughed. Nathan walked until he was standing next to Lucas. "Dude, you look fine. Stop messing with your damn tie." He said.

"Sorry, I'm just nervous. I mean, I'm completely ready-I just want everything to be perfect. This is Peyton's day, and I want it to be everything she ever dreamed of." Lucas said.

"It will be, Luke." Nathan reassured.

"I don't know if I told you how much I appreciate you coming. It means a lot to me. And I really appreciate you standing up for me today." Lucas said in gratitude.

"You're welcome. Thanks for asking me. It's an honor." Nathan responded. "Wow, we kind of sound gay." He said after a couple seconds.

"Yup. Moment's passed." Lucas said as they laughed. "So, how are you holding up?" He asked.

"With what?" Nathan asked confused.

"With Haley, Nathan. It can't be easy being around her again." Lucas clearified. "What happened last night? I saw you guys walking along the shore together." He asked.

"We just talked." Nathan said vaguely.

"What did you talk about?" Lucas asked.

"Nothing." Nathan dismissed.

"Nathan, come on. What did you guys talk about?" Lucas prodded.

"Lucas, just let it go. It's not a pleasant story with a pleasant ending. It's your wedding day, and you don't need to concern yourself with it today." Nathan said.

"It does concern me. Haley's my sister, and you're one of my best friends." Lucas said.

"Yes, but we'll talk about it later. There's just a lot of stuff that Haley and I need to talk about. That is if she'll talk to me. But you don't need to worry about it today. Today, you are getting married. Focus on that." Nathan said.

"Fine. We'll talk later." Lucas relented. "So, I have a present for Peyton, but obviously I can't give it to her. Would you do me a favor and deliver this to her." He asked handing Nathan a bag.

"Of course. I'll be back." Nathan answered taking the bag and walking out of the room. He closed the door and turned around to see Haley walking towards his direction. She looked amazing. It never failed. No matter what she was wearing, she always looked amazing. She always took his breath away.

"Hey, Nathan." She greeted softly.

"Hey." He greeted managing to find his voice. "What are you doing here?" He asked.

"I was looking for Lucas. I kind of wanted to talk to him alone." She answered.

"Well, he's inside." He said. She gave him a slight nod in appreciation and walked around him towards the room. Just as she was about to turn the doorknob, his voice stopped him.

"Haley, you look really beautiful." He said sending a small smile her way before walking away disappearing from her sight. Haley watched his retreating form and felt the blush cover her face. She closed her eyes as memories of him hit her. She took a deep breath and silently reprimended herself. She hated the way she still let him get to her. She shook away her thoughts and walked into the room. "Hey, big brother." She greeted.

"Hey, baby sister." Lucas said as the two embraced in a sweet hug. "You look beautiful." He said as they broke apart.

"Thank you. You look very handsome." She said. "You're getting married, Luke." She said as tears filled her eyes.

"I know." He smiled.

"I'm so happy for you." She gushed as she once again threw her arms around him tightly. "Mom and dad would be so proud of you." She said quietly. Lucas smiled when he realized she actually called them mom and dad instead of 'they'. The two broke apart once again. Lucas laughed as he handed her a tissue. "Shut up, Lucas." She laughed while dabbing her eyes.

"I'm sorry. I'm just wondering how you're going to make it through the ceremony." He said.

"Haha. You're so funny." She deadpanned. "Just in case, though, I am going to hide some tissues in my flowers." She said as they laughed. "But seriously, Luke, I am so happy for you. And I'm so proud of you. You and Peyton are going to have a wonderful life together." She said.

"Thanks, Hales. I'm proud of you, too. I don't say it very much, because it always turns into a fight with us." He said as she nodded her head in understanding. "But I am. Thank you so much for putting aside your feelings and being here for me today. I really couldn't have done this without my baby sister." He finished.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world." She responded. "So, when are you going to make me an aunt?" She asked with a sly smile.

"Jeez, Hales, can I at least get married first?" He laughed.

"I suppose. But it better happen soon." She warned jokingly.

"I'll get right on that, Hales." He laughed.

* * *

><p>The music cued as the guys and the minister took their place at the alter. The girls began their descent down the aisle as Bevin and Brooke walked down the aisle. Haley began walking and smiled at Lucas. Nathan couldn't tear his eyes away from her. She was stunning. Before he knew it, she was already at the alter. He continued to watch her as Mia made her way to the alter. The bridal march began, and Nathan finally tore his eyes away from Haley to watch Peyton make her way down the aisle.<p>

Soon enough the ceremony began. Nathan looked over and smiled when he saw Haley. She was already crying, and they weren't even halfway through the ceremony. He turned his attention back to Lucas and Peyton. They were both glowing and so clearly in love with one another. He couldn't help but think this should be Haley and him. At one point in their lives, he thought for sure it was going to be.

_"Okay, guys. We have a game against Virginia Tech on Friday night. I want you guys well-rested and ready to go. Good practice. Get out of here." Coach K said as the guys dispersed towards the locker room._

_"Yo, Nate. There's a party tonight. You coming?" One of the players asked._

_"No, I don't think so." Nathan answered._

_"Dude, you never party. And when you do go, you stay for like half an hour and never drink. There's also a ton of girls who are definitely wanting to hook up with you-like pretty much every single cheerleader." The guy said._

_"Sorry, but no. I have a girlfriend." Nathan said._

_"Yeah, and you're completely whipped." Another guy called out._

_"I'm not whipped. I'm just in love with her." Nathan retorted._

_"What's her name?"_

_"Haley." Nathan smiled._

_"Dude, you are so whipped."_

_"Whatever." Nathan dismissed._

_"So, how long have you guys been together?"_

_"Almost four years." Nathan answered._

_"Damn. She must be good in bed."_

_"Watch it!" Nathan warned._

_"I'm just saying...I can't imagine being with one girl for that long. How do you even know it's going to last? This is the time to experiment with different girls. We're young. Why would you want to waste your time with one chick?"_

_"I'm not wasting my time. I love her, and I know it's going to last. I've actually been thinking about asking her to marry me." Nathan revealed._

_"Seriously? You sure about that, man? You're barely twenty. How old is she?"_

_"She's eighteen." Nathan answered._

_"You really want to marry her?"_

_"Yeah. I mean, not right now but once I graduate. Hell, I would marry her right now if it was the right time. She's going to Stanford next fall. The long distance thing is hard, but it's going to get even harder. I'm hoping once I graduate, I can get drafted to the Sacramento Kings. That way, Haley and I will be a lot closer." Nathan answered._

_"Wow, so, you're really serious about this girl."_

_"Yeah, I am. We're gonna get married someday." Nathan said with certainty._

"I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride." The minister declared breaking Nathan out of his thoughts. Cheers and applause erupted in the church as Lucas and Peyton shared their first kiss as a married couple. Nathan looked over and saw a big, bright smile plastered on Haley's face. Soon enough, the bridal party began walking down the aisle and out of the church. Haley smiled softly at Nathan before looping her hand through his arm as he led her out the church.

* * *

><p>All of the guests mingled with one another as Lucas and Peyton went through the lines to greet everyone. Haley and Julian were standing with Alex and Millie. The two girls arrived in North Carolina around eight in the morning. "Damn! He's so fine." Alex stated staring off. Haley laughed and followed her line of sight. Her heart stopped a beat when she saw her staring at Nathan. She quickly looked away and stared down to the ground. "What? You can't tell me that you don't think he's a total fox." Alex said noticing her friend's behavior.<p>

"Alex, that's Nathan." Julian said.

"Seriously? Damn, Hales!" Alex exclaimed.

"He is cute." Millie jumped in.

"I'm sorry, Haley. I didn't mean..." Alex began noticing Haley's somber mood. Alex and Millie have heard all about Haley's past with Nathan. But they've never seen any pictures of him. Haley never kept pictures of him.

"It's okay. It's just been hard seeing him again." Haley said. Julian wrapped his arms around her in comfort.

"Well, it looks like someone's a little jealous." Alex stated after a couple of seconds.

"What?" Haley asked confused.

"Nathan. He's been glaring at Julian ever since he put his arm around you." Alex said. Haley turned slightly and sure enough, Nathan was staring in her direction.

"He's not jealous." Haley dismissed turning back around.

"Whatever, Hales. I know boys. And that boy is jealous." Alex said. Much to Haley's relief, Julian changed the subject. She didn't want to talk about Nathan. She didn't want to think about Nathan. She just wanted to have a fun night with her friends-the old and the new.

"Nathan? Nathan!" Brooke exclaimed finally capturing her brother's attention. "Are you even listening to me?" She asked.

"Of course." He lied. Brooke quirked her eyebrow and followed her eyes to the path Nathan was previously looking at. She couldn't help but sigh when she saw Haley and Julian. She turned back towards her brother. "Nathan, why do you keep torturing yourself?" She asked.

"I'm not." He scoffed.

"Nathan, I'm worried about you." She said softly.

"You shouldn't be. I'm fine, Brooke." He said.

"Nathan, I don't want to see you hurting anymore. You need to find a way to move on. Maybe try being friends with Haley. She's with Julian, and she's happy." She said.

"Maybe you should be telling yourself that, Brooke." He quipped.

"What are you talking about?" She asked confused.

"I'm talking about you last night. I saw you. I saw you and Julian. You guys were totally flirting with each other. And you kept touching him. You're aware that he's with Haley, aren't you?" He said.

"I...I wasn't flirting with him." She stammered.

"You know, you keep saying how much you miss your friendship with Haley. You keep saying how you wish she would forgive you. Call me crazy, but I don't think she's going to be too forgiving when you're moving in on her boyfriend." He shot out.

"What about you? You went off with her last night." She retaliated.

"I went off with her to talk. I'm trying to make things right between us. I'm not trying to break her and Julian up." He retorted.

"I'm not trying to break them up, Nathan. I'm not. I would never do that. I know she's with Julian, and I'm happy for them. I was a little drunk last night, but I never would have let it go any further than a little flirting. Haley means so much to me, and I wouldn't betray her like that." She said.

"I know you wouldn't-not intentionally anyway. But, Brooke, I can see that you're attracted to Julian." He said.

"So, I'm attracted to him. It doesn't mean anything. You were attracted to Rachel, but you never fell for her. All you did was sleep with her and leave her the next morning. It's the same thing-minus the sleeping with him part. I wouldn't hurt Haley." She said.

"Fine. I just want you to be careful, Brooke." He said.

"You, too." She said. "So, I'm assuming those two girls are Haley's roomates?" She said after a couple seconds.

"I guess so." He said.

"We should go meet them." She suggested.

"No, I don't think that's a good idea. If Haley wants to introduce us, then she'll introduce us. We shouldn't keep forcing ourselves at her, Brooke. I don't want to push her. That will just force her right back out of my life." He said as she nodded in understanding. She placed a comforting hand on his shoulder as they smiled softly at one another.

* * *

><p>Close to two hours later, the reception was going off without a hitch. All of the guests were enjoying themselves having a great time. The food was served, the toasts were made, and Lucas and Peyton had just cut their wedding cake. Now, it was time for the music to begin. Peyton shared her fatherdaughter dance with Larry. And now, it was time for the bridal party dance. The pairs were to be who everyone walked with during the ceremony. Skills was with Bevin. Mouth was with Brooke. Jake was with Mia. That left Nathan with Haley.

Haley closed her eyes as they all made their way towards the dancefloor. She opened her eyes when she felt his presence standing next to her. She looked up and caught his gaze. He sent her a comforting smile. She could tell by his eyes that he understood how she was feeling. And for the first time in a long time, she actually felt safe with him. She placed her hand in his as he led her out to the dancefloor. He placed his hands gently on her waist as she wrapped hers around his neck. They were standing close together. Her left cheek was almost touching his as they swayed slowly to the song. "You really do look amazing, Haley." He whispered quietly into her ear causing her a shiver to shoot through her body.

"Thank you." She whispered almost inaudibly. The two fell into a silence, but it was actually a comforting silence. They revelled in just being in one another's arms. They both closed their eyes at the overwhelming memories that hit them. "I'm staying for a couple more weeks." She finally voiced quietly.

"Really?" He asked hopeful leaning his head back to look into her eyes.

"Yeah. I miss home." She said.

"That's good to hear." He said. "Do you think we could maybe have dinner sometime-you know to talk?" He asked timidly.

"I don't know if that's such a good idea, Nathan." She said.

"Why not? Haley, I don't want to fight with you. I just, I miss you. I want to know everything that you've been up to these past few years. I want to know how Stanford was and how you're magazine is doing. I just want to talk to you." He said.

"I, umm, I..."

"You know what, forget it. You made your feelings clear last night." He said dejectively as he looked away from her.

"Just to talk." She said quietly causing him to look back to her swiftly.

"Really?" He asked.

"Yeah. It's time for us to get over the past. We're both adults now. We should be able to talk like adults." She said.

"Thanks, Haley." He said in appreciation as she nodded slightly at him. The two locked eyes and found themselve lost in each other. Before they knew it, the song had ended and they quickly, but hesitantly broke apart. He sent her a small smile before walking off towards the bar. She took a deep breath before making her way towards where Julian, Alex, and Millie were sitting. She took a seat on Julian's lap noticing there weren't any chairs available. She let out a light moan as she slipped the shoes off of her feet.

"Feel better there, Hales?" Julian laughed.

"Yeah. My feet are killing me." Haley said.

"So, you and Nathan looked pretty cozy together." Alex commented.

"We were just dancing." Haley dismissed.

"Dancing. Well, any closer and you wouldn't have even been able to slip a piece of paper between you two." Alex stated.

"He asked me to go out to dinner with him. He said he wanted to talk about things." Haley revealed.

"I think you should." Julian said.

"Really?" Haley asked.

"Yeah. I think it would do you both some good to sit down and discuss things with one another. I mean, you guys have a lot to talk about." He said.

"I told him yes." She said as Julian gave her a surprising look. "What? Don't look at me like that. You're right. It's time that Nathan and I both start acting like adults. I don't want to live the rest of my life hating him and thinking he ruined my life. I have a good life now. And I'd like to be able to move forward in this life." She continued.

"Well, then, I'm proud of you." He said.

Nathan stood at the bar watching Julian and Haley interract with one another. As upsetting as it was, he couldn't help but be incredibly happy and relieved that Haley agreed to have dinner with him. He was ready to talk to her about everything. He wanted a chance to explain. He wanted a chance to tell her that he wanted her back in his life even if only as friends. He took a drink and felt a presence next to him. He looked to his left and saw his father standing beside him. He rolled his eyes. "What are you doing here, dad?" He asked looking away.

"I was invited." Dan answered.

"Really? I find that hard to believe considering this is Lucas' wedding. And considering what you did, I don't think he would really want you here to celebrate with him." Nathan countered.

"Well, technically your mother was invited which in turn meant I was invited." Dan said. Nathan shook his head in annoyance while sneaking a glance back towards Haley. "Haley looks good." Dan commented following his son's gaze. He smirked as Nathan sent him a cold glare. "So, is that her boyfriend? They look awfully close...and in love." He taunted. Nathan still said nothing. "What, don't you have anything to say? You know, I haven't seen her in so long. Maybe I'll just go say hi." Dan said.

"Stay the hell away from her!" Nathan warned angrily.

"Finally. There you go. It's nice to see some aggression still inside of you." Dan said.

"I mean it, dad. Don't you dare go near her!" Nathan warned one final time before hastily walking away. Dan smirked at his son's retreating figure before looking back over in Haley's direction once again. He smiled as he watched her lean in and give Julian a kiss on the cheek. "Looks like I did the right thing." He muttered aloud to himself before taking a drink and walking away.

* * *

><p>"If I can have everyone's attention please." The dj announced capturing the attention of all of the guests. "The groom has put in a special request to share a dance with his sister. So, could I please have Lucas James and Haley James come to the dancefloor please?" He finished. Lucas and Haley met each other out on the dancefloor as they started dancing.<br>"Congratulations, Lucas." Haley said.

"Thank you, Haley." He returned.

"So, are you happy?" She asked already knowing the answer.

"I am so happy." He stated. "You look like you're having fun." He said.

"I am. I'm really glad I came home. I really miss you and everyone else." She said as a couple tears fell down her cheeks. "I love you so much, Luke. I couldn't ask for a better brother." She continued.

"I couldn't ask for a better sister." He said.

"I wish dad and mom could be here." She admitted quietly.

"I know. Me, too. But they're watching down on us right now. And I think they'd be pretty proud of both of us." He said. After a couple of seconds, Lucas started laughing.

"What?" Haley asked confused.

"Do you remember when they gave us both the sex talk?" He laughed.

"Oh, god! Don't remind me of that horrific experience. I have successfully blocked that day out of my mind." She said with a quiver in her voice.

"Hey, at least you weren't dating anyone at the time. I had just started dating Peyton. Most of that conversation was directed towards me." He countered.

"Dating someone or not, that is still one day I would like to forever erase. It's time we face the fact that we were born under some really strange and dysfunctional parents." She laughed.

"Very true." He said joining in the laughter. "So, are you really going to stay for awhile longer?" He asked becoming more serious once again.

"Yeah, I am." She answered.

"Julian isn't staying, is he?" He asked.

"No. He has to go back to California on Monday morning. He caught a flight back with Alex and Millie. They're just going to stay in our hotel room until then." She answered.

"You know, Peyton and I are going to be away on our honeymoon. The house is going to be completely empty for the whole week. You should get out of that hotel after everyone's gone and stay at the house. Your room is still there." He said.

"Seriously, you haven't cleaned out my old bedroom?" She asked incredulously.

"No, I haven't. I know I'll have to eventually. I just, it's your room. I kept hoping you'd come home to visit again someday. Plus, I didn't want to just go through all of your stuff." He explained.

"Just box it up and throw it in the basement or something. Actually, I could probably do that while I'm in town. I should probably ship it all back to California anyway." She said.

"So, you're dodging my question. Do you want to stay in the house while you're in town?" He asked.

"We'll see. I don't know yet, Luke. I'll decide on Monday after Julian's gone." She answered. He gave her a slight nod in understanding. They continued dancing and talking until the song was over. He gave her a sweet kiss on the cheek before heading back over to Peyton. Haley walked over to the bridal party table and sat down. She watched as Lucas and Peyton danced and kissed one another. As happy as she was for them, she couldn't help but feel a pang inside of her heart. She longed for what they had. At that thought, she filled her wine glass with champaigne and began drinking. Soon enough, Julian joined her. She was already feeling the effects of her earlier drinks-mix that with how exhausted she was. She rested her head on his shoulder as she continued watching her brother and his new wife.

Meanwhile, Nathan took a seat next to Jake who was sitting with Skills, Mouth, Jake, Bevin, Alex, and Millie. Julian had introduced them earlier. Mouth and Millie seemed to be really hitting it off. Nathan didn't really join in on their conversation. He was tired and was quite content just to listen. There were a couple different conversations going on. The guys were in one discussion while the girls were in another. He was pretty much listening to the guys until the subject of Julian came up. At that, his ears perked up.

"We so need to set Julian up with someone." Alex stated.

"Yes, we do." Millie agreed. "You know, Haley told me she tried setting him up with one of the new columnists at her magazine. He shot her down quickly." She continued.

"He's too cute to be single." Bevin joined in.

Nathan couldn't believe what he was hearing. He glanced over to where Haley and Julian were sitting. _"They aren't dating? They certainly look like a couple."_ He said in his head. Dozens of thoughts were passing through his mind. He was so engrossed in his thoughts, he failed to notice that everyone had headed off to the dancefloor.

"What's on your mind, hotshot?" A voice said breaking his thoughts. He turned to his left and saw Haley's friend, Alex.

"Nothing." He dismissed. She seemed like a nice girl, but he wasn't about to bare his soul to someone he had literally just met. Especially when said someone is her roomate.

"Nothing. Why don't I believe you?" She questioned. He didn't say anything in response. "Thinking about Haley?" She deduced.

"What? No, of course not." He said.

"Riiiight." She said as she stood up from her chair. She walked behind him and bent over until she was hovering right outside of his ear. "She's single, Nathan." She confirmed in a whisper before walking away from the table. At those words, he looked back over to Haley and Julian. He told himself he was going to work on the friends thing considering she had a boyfriend. He wasn't interested in destroying her happiness. But now. Hearing that she is in fact single, changed everything. Did he still love her? Yes. But did he want to go down that road again? He wasn't so sure.

**Okay, so there it is. It's not that great. I didn't really care too much for this chapter. And it was also shorter considering there was only one small flashback. But anyway. While this wasn't an important chapter, there were a couple of important conversations that took place. The next chapter is when more drama begins. I'm hoping to have another chapter up either Saturday night or sometime on Sunday. Again, thanks for the reviews and all of the other alerts.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Sorry for the long wait! This chapter is all a flashback to what happened the day Haley and Nathan broke up. It's written from Haley's side. I had originally planned on having this for the next chapter, but as I started writing this chapter, I couldn't get the graduation out of my mind. I knew I had to write that now before I could write anything else. This chapter is kind of short like the last one, but the next one will be longer. I've already started writing it and should have it up tomorrow. I was supposed to go to my sister's today, but she had to cancel. So, I am completely free today and tomorrow. But anyway, I just wanted to give a flashback to what Haley was feeling and what was said on that day. So, read and let me know what you think.**

_Haley awoke with a huge smile on her face. Today, she was graduating from high school. Today, was the start of her new life in becoming an adult. In just three months, she would be moving to California. She would be going to an Ivy League school. And she would be starting her own life. The other reason she awoke with a huge smile on her face was because Nathan was coming home. He was supposed to call her the night before when he arrived back in Tree Hill, but he never did. She assumed he was probably just exhausted and forgot. It didn't matter, though. She'd see him today, and then, they would have three whole months together. She was so excited._

_Haley jumped out of her bed and headed towards the bathroom. After about a fifteen minute shower, she headed back into her bedroom and got dressed for the day. She dressed herself in a black dress which stopped between her knees and her thighs. It had really black straps. There were tiny white polka dots covering the entire dress. There was a thick bright pink band of fabric covering the dress right underneath her breasts. She had the dress paired with bright pink heels. Her long, honey-blonde hair was cascading down her back with a slight curl. She did her makeup the way she always does-very light with neutral colors._

_"Haley! I have breakfast ready. Let's go!" Lydia called from the bottom of the stairs. Haley looked herself over in her mirror one final time before happily skipping out of her room and down the stairs. She walked into the kitchen and found her mom and dad sitting at the breakfast table. "Hey!" She greeted excitedly._

_"That can't be her. Is that my daughter who's graduating from high school today?" Lydia said standing up and embracing her daughter in a hug. "Oh, my baby's all grown up." She cried._

_"Oh, let the poor girl breathe, Lydia." Jimmy said prying Haley from his wife's arms to embrace her in a hug of his own. "You look beautiful, honey." He said kissing her sweetly on the forehead._

_"Thank you." Haley said._

_"Okay, come sit down and eat something." Lydia said as the three of them headed to the table and began eating their food._

_"Where's Luke?" Haley asked noticing her brother missing._

_"Oh, he got in pretty late last night. I imagine he'll be sleeping for just a bit longer." Lydia answered with a laugh._

_"Peyton?" Haley asked knowingly as both her parents nodded._

_"So, do you have your speech prepared?" Jimmy asked._

_"Yeah, I do. I hope it's okay. I don't want everyone to hate it." Haley responded._

_"Honey, I'm sure it's great." Lydia reassured. "And if it's not...well, you never have to see these people again." She joked._

_"Thanks, mom." Haley laughed._

_"Okay, so here's the plan for today. We'll go to your graduation ceremony. Then, we'll go out to lunch at your favorite Italian restaurant. After that, we'll go home and get everything packed up while you go off with either Nathan or Brooke or both. Be home by five, because that's when we're going to take off. Lucas is going to be driving himself there, because he's going to go straight back to UNC on Monday morning. He has a final class that doesn't end until next week. You're still planning on riding with us, aren't you?" Lydia asked._

_"Yup. I'm so excited! It's going to be really nice spending time with just us four." Haley responded._

_"Hey, family." Lucas greeted sleepily walking into the kitchen. He walked over to Haley and hugged her from behind the chair. "Congratulations my favorite sister. You look gorgeous." He commented._

_"Thanks, Luke." She responded in appreciation._

* * *

><p><em>"Haley!" Brooke exclaimed as the two best friends hugged each other tightly.<em>

_"Hey, Brooke. You look hot!" Haley stated as the two girls broke apart._

_"Well, duh." Brooke semi-joked. "You look hot as well. But let's face it, we are the hottest girls in the senior class." She continued. Haley laughed and shook her head in amusement. "So, are you ready for your speech?" Brooke asked._

_"Yes and no." Haley answered honestly._

_"Oh, you're going to do wonderful." Brooke reassured._

_"Thanks, Brooke. So, I'm assuming Nathan made it home okay and everything." Haley said._

_"Yeah, he got home yesterday. Has that jerk not called you?" Brooke asked as Haley nodded her head. "What an asshole! I'm not too surprised. I'll warn you, he's in a bit of a mood today. Actually, he's been in a mood ever since he got home. He went straight up to his bedroom yesterday, and I haven't seen him since. He didn't come down and eat dinner with us last night. And this morning, he was still up in his room before I left. I don't know what his problem is, but he's kind of acting like a dick. But I'm sure he'll change his mood once he sees his totally hot girlfriend." Brooke said._

_"I'm so excited to see him! I've missed him so much." Haley replied._

_The girls conversed with each other for awhile longer before finding Bevin and talking with her for a little bit. Before they knew it, the ceremony had begun, and the students had began their walk to their seats. As Haley made her way to her seat, she looked and saw her parents and Luke and gave them a quick wave. She, then, moved her eyes trying to find him. She felt her heart flutter when she finally found him. Her smile slightly disapated when she saw that he wasn't even looking at her. His eyes were plastered down. She mentally told herself that he was probably still a little moody and shook her thoughts away. She continued walking until finally reaching her seat._

_The ceremony was going off without a hitch. Haley realized she was about to be introduced to give her speech. She suddenly felt a wave of butterflies in her stomach. She closed her eyes as she listened to Principal Turner finish up his speech. "Please welcome me in joining this year's class valedictorian, Haley James." He annouced._

_Haley stood up and headed towards the podium as cheers and applauses erupted within the gym. Once she was in front of the microphone facing everyone, her nerves vanished._

_"Parents, teachers, families and friends, welcome and thank you for joining us tonight at the Tree Hill High School graduation ceremony for the Class of 2006! Graduation is a time to look fondly upon memories which have been made over the past four years. I am sure all of us have our own memories which we hold close to our hearts and make us grin when we think of them. Events which become very vivid in my mind are football and basketball games, dances, pep assemblies, and especially time spent with a group of friends just doing whatever. It hurts to think of all these memories and then realize this time period in our lives is coming to an end. Today marks the end of an era._

_From the lyrics of Dave Mathews, 'So why would you care, to get out of this place, you and me and all our friends, such a happy human race ... As we all go our separate ways ... I will remember.'_

_Graduation is also time to look at what the future has in store for each of us. It is a very serious time, a time to take a look at what path our lives are going to take once the caps and gowns are taken off and we are thrust into a world which is not so well known to most of us. Will you be successful? Will you be unsuccessful? This success I am speaking of has nothing to do with monetary gains but is measured solely by happiness. Are you truly happy? Will you be five or ten years down the road? Begin planning for your future today. Today marks the beginning of the rest of our lives, graduates. Please grasp it firmly and head down a path leading to eternal success, which I repeat is measured by your happiness._

_With the support of our parents, our teachers and our friends we made it to this day and to the beginning of a new stage of our lives. Where we go from here and what new frontiers we are meant to discover may remain unseen, but as we step out those doors today and stare into the first lights of what is to come and what is to be, always remember today's victory. For no matter what tomorrow brings, be it the simplest path or a road wrought with twists and turns, today we share an achievement. Class of 2006, congratulations. Always take with you the memories, the knowledge, and the self-satisfaction of a job well done."_

* * *

><p><em>"You did wonderful, honey!" Lydia gushed as she about plowed her daughter over embracing her in a tight hug. The two broke apart, and Haley hugged her father and Lucas as well.<em>

_"Thank you, you guys. I love you all so much." Haley declared._

_"So, are you ready to go out to lunch?" Jimmy asked. Haley looked around for any sign of Nathan. She was beginning to feel as if something was really wrong. She couldn't believe he hasn't even attempted to see her or at the very least talk to her. She actually found herself growing angry rather than upset. "Is everything okay?" Jimmy asked after receiving no answer to his first question._

_"Yeah, I was just...I'm ready. Let's go celebrate." Haley said trying very hard to put all thoughts of Nathan out of her mind. At least for now. Her parents, Lucas, and she hopped in the car and drove to the restaurant._

_It was about an hour and a half later when Haley found herself walking around town. After lunch, her parents dropped her back off at the school to pick up her car. They reminded her to be home by five before heading back home. Once they were out of sight, she pulled out her cell phone and tried calling Nathan once again. She sighed as it went straight to voicemail yet again. Wanting to be alone for awhile, she decided against going back home. She thought about just going to Nathan's and confronting him, but she was too upset to face him right now. She didn't know how long she walked around town. But before she knew it, she found herself walking along the beach. She slipped her shoes off and took a seat on the sand facing out towards the water. She sat there for a few minutes before she felt a presence sit down next to her. She didn't have to look to know who it was. She discreetly wiped a fallen tear off of her cheek._

_"Hey." He greeted. She didn't even bother to return the greeting. "I'm sorry for avoiding you today." He apologized. She still said nothing. She just stared straight ahead. "Haley, we need to talk." He began quietly._

_It was then that she finally looked up to him. She couldn't stop all of the emotions passing through her body. All of a sudden, she felt a wave of nervousness strike her hard. The way he was talking to her and the way he was looking at her had her on edge. She knew whatever was about to come out of his mouth wasn't going to be a good thing. She took a deep breath and waited for him to continue._

_"Haley, I, umm...this isn't really working out anymore." He stammered out._

_Once those words poured out of his mouth, she felt as if someone had completely knocked her out. She heard him as he began talking some more, but she didn't really hear him. She was still trying to process his words. It wasn't until she heard his next set of words that she snapped._

_"Haley, I love you so much. And I just want you to know that it's not..."_

_"If the next words out of your mouth are 'it's not you, it's me', I would get up and leave right now if I were you." She warned looking at him with fire in her eyes. She could tell by the look on his face that she had caught him off-gaurd slightly._

_"I'm sorry, Haley." He apologized. She didn't understand this, but she knew he was serious. She could hear the sincerety in his voice. That's what hurt the most. He was actually being sweet and caring. She hated that. She almost preferred for him to be a complete jackass to her while he was breaking her heart._

_"I just don't understand. Why? I mean, what happened?" She asked as a batch of fresh tears fell down her cheeks._

_"I just don't think we should put ourselves through the heartache for the next four years. We're going to be on completely different sides of the country, and we're barely ever going to see each other. It's going to be too hard." He tried to explain._

_"But we can make it work. I know it's not going to be easy, but we'll work through it. Please, Nathan, I love you." She pleaded._

_"I love you, too. But Haley, I can't do this anymore. It's too hard for me-waiting for you. I just..."_

_"Did you cheat on me?" She asked abruptly. She watched the way his face fell, and she felt a pang of reality sink in. She waited for him to answer her, but he didn't. He wasn't even looking at her. "Did you?" She asked again as her voice cracked._

_"I, umm, I kissed someone at a party this past weekend. But I swear, that's all. I was drunk and missing you, and I just...I let myself drown for just a few seconds. But I realized what I was doing and broke away from her. After that, I left the party and went back to the dorms." He admitted. She looked away as her tears fell even harder. "Haley, I'm so sor..."_

_"Don't you dare say you're sorry. How could you do that to me? You promised me forever. And don't you dare say you love me." She cried._

_"Haley, I do love you. I just started worrying and panicking about being so far away from you these next four years. I felt like I was suffocating, and I needed to breathe. The next morning, I really thought about our relationship. And my heart broke when I realized I could have even thought for a second to cheat on you. That's when I realized the next four years is just going to be even harder. This time it was just a kiss. But what if next time I'm feeling that way, I actually go even further. I don't want to cheat on you." He said._

_"If only people could actually control their own actions." She bit out sarcastically._

_"Haley, I don't know what to say to you. I don't want to see you hurting. And I don't want to be the one to hurt you. I wish there was something I could do or say to make this all better." He said._

_"You can't. There aren't any words. You did hurt me. You broke my heart. I thought we would be together forever. What was all of that crap about marriage and kids, huh? Was that just a way to drive the knife just a little bit deeper? Why'd you even put me through this? How could you make me fall in love with you just to throw it all away? I hate you! I hate you so much!" She cried out while standing up and running as fast as she could away from him. She heard him call her name, but he didn't chase after her. And she knew he wasn't going to._

* * *

><p><em>She ran all of the way back to her car and somehow managed to make it all the way home without getting into an accident. She was a mess. She sat in her driveway trying to pull herself together. If she walked into her house like this, she would be bombarded with questions full of concern. All she wanted to do was crawl into her bed and stay there for days. There was no way she could go on vacation with her family. She took a deep breath and made her way into her house. Sure enough, her parents took one look at her and knew something was wrong. Not wanting to rehash everything with Nathan, she made up some ridiculous lie about feeling sick. She told them she thought she may have gotten food poisoning at the restaurant and didn't think she'd be able to go away for the weekend. Her parents immediately grew concerned and decided to cancel the trip. After a lot of debating, she managed to convince them to go ahead and go away for the weekend.<em>

_After talking with her parents, she retreated to her bedroom. She slipped out of her dress and threw on a pair of sweatpants and a tank top. She threw her hair up into a messy ponytail as she walked to her bed. She stopped when she saw one of Nathan's Duke sweatshirts laying on her bed. She wore it to bed the night before. She picked it up and held it close to her face. Even though, it's been washed, she could still smell his scent. It was intoxicating, and a fresh batch of tears poured from her eyes. She pulled the sweatshirt over her head and onto her body before climbing into her bed._

_A couple hours later, she heard the door to her bedroom open and close. She didn't bother to even look to see who it was. She felt the bed sink slightly and then felt the comforting embrace of her best friend. "Hales, what happened? I came here to tell you goodbye before you left, and your parents told me you weren't going." She said softly._

_"Are they gone?" Haley asked almost inaudibly._

_"Yeah, they just left. They told me to tell you to call them as soon as you can. They want to make sure you're feeling better. Haley, what's wrong?" Brooke asked._

_"Nathan broke up with me." Haley answered quietly._

_"What?" Brooke exclaimed. She began to stand up from the bed when Haley reached out to stop her._

_"Please don't, Brooke. I don't want to talk about it, and I don't want you to go yell at Nathan. Can you just stay here with me for awhile?" Haley asked._

_"Of course." Brooke said calming down while resuming her seat on the bed. She held onto her best friend as she cried harder than she had ever seen her cry. She stayed holding her until her sobs subsided replaced with steady breathing as she fell asleep._

* * *

><p><em>Haley awoke the next morning. She had a splitting headache, and she knew it was from all of the crying she had done the day before. She spotted Brooke's note on her nightstand. She checked her phone and didn't see any missed calls or text messages from Brooke or Nathan. She knew there wouldn't be any from Nathan, but it still didn't stop her from wishing and hoping. She stood up and made her way out of her room and down to the kitchen. She opened the fridge and pulled out a bottled water. She swallowed a couple of Aspirins while taking a gulp of her water. She headed back up to her room and spotted all of the tissues on her floor as well as her bed. She sighed before she began picking them up and throwing them away.<em>

_She pulled out a pair of jeans, a white tank top, and a grey sweatshirt and headed into the bathroom. She jumped in the shower and let the hot water cascade down her body. She stood there for several minutes just thinking about the day before. She didn't cry, though. She couldn't. She was all cried out. Having had enough, she finished her shower. She got dressed, threw her wet hair up into a messy bun, and went back to her bedroom. She pulled out a small suitcase and began packing some clothes and other essentials. Her phone rang, and she picked it up after seeing it was her parents._

_"Hey, sweetie. How are you feeling?" Lydia asked full of concern._

_"I'm fine, mom. I'm actually packing right now, and then, I'm going to head up there." Haley answered quietly._

_"Oh, good. We miss you. I can't wait for you to get here!" Lydia gushed._

_"I miss you guys, too." Haley said._

_"Okay, well, be careful. Drive carefully. I wrote out the directions on a piece of paper and put it on the counter next to the stove just in case you decided to come up." Lydia said._

_"I saw that. Thanks, mom." Haley said letting out a slight laugh._

_"Okay, we'll see you soon. Love you." Lydia said._

_"I love you, too." Haley returned as they both said their goodbyes and ended the call. Haley finished her packing, grabbed her purse and keys, and headed out of her house. She climbed into her car and backed out of her driveway as she began her journey to Murtle Beach._

**Okay, there it is. I know it was short and didn't include anything from the present. Next chapter we go back to the present day. The graduation speech-I didn't write. I got it off of a website (123helpme). That was not my own personal work. ****Also, in a couple of chapters, it's going to be revealed why Nathan broke up with Haley. It's also going to include the moment he cheated on her, even if it was just a kiss. I really want to portray what Nathan was feeling during that whole time. I've been working on it a little bit here and there. But anyway, I will have another chapter up tomorrow. I have already started working on it, so you shouldn't have to wait any longer than tomorrow. I would be able to get it up tonight, but with OTH on tonight-I don't think that will happen. Thanks again for the reviews and the story alerts. I really appreciate it. So, read and let me know what you think. Next chapter will be better. There's going to start more drama and romance soon, too.**


	10. Chapter 10

Haley laid in bed staring straight up at the ceiling. It was a little after eleven in the morning. Julian, Alex, and Millie had already left to go back to California. She was going to go see Lucas, but then she remembered he was away on his honeymoon. So, she went back to the hotel. She wasn't trying to sleep. She was just laying there completely alone. And that's exactly how she felt. She felt so alone right now. Lucas was gone. Julian was gone. Alex and Millie were gone. She was going back and forth in her mind as to whether she should pack up and head back to California. Why did she decide to stay in Tree Hill? Especially this week. She knew Lucas was going to be gone. She knew Julian, Alex, and Millie were going to be gone. So, why the heck was she even still here? Before she could question it anymore, a knock sounded. She jumped off of the bed and headed towards the door. She swung it open and was surprised to see Brooke standing on the other side. "Brooke? What are you doing here?" She asked.

"Hey, Haley. I'm sorry for just showing up like this. I was just wondering...well, hoping you would maybe like to go out to lunch with me." Brooke suggested timidly.

"Oh, I...umm, I..." Haley stammered feeling a little bit off gaurd.

"Please." Brooke pleaded softly.

"Okay." Haley agreed quietly. Brooke sent her a big smile full of gratitude. Haley grabbed her purse as they both headed towards the elevator.

Five minutes later, the two girls found themselves at the cafe. To say it was awkward would be a complete understatement. Haley was fidgeting with her hands while looking everywhere but at Brooke. Brooke didn't know what to say to her. She could tell how uncomfortable Haley was. She remembered how easy things used to be between them. They used to be able to talk about anything and everything.

_"What's on your mind, Tigger?" Haley asked as she and Brooke were lounging out in Brooke's bedroom._

_"Nothing." Brooke replied unconvincingly._

_"Brooke, you can't hide anything from me. What's going on?" Haley prodded._

_"Okay, I have been thinking about something. I haven't told anyone yet, and I actually did want to run it by you to see what you had to think." Brooke began as Haley nodded for her to continue. "So, I think I know what I want to do once we graduate from high school." She said._

_"That's great! What is it?" Haley asked._

_"Well, you know I have a love for shopping, and..."_

_"More like an obsession." Haley cut in jokingly._

_"Watch it, Tutor Girl!" Brooke warned as she lightly shoved her. "No, I am thinking of designing some clothes." She said timidly._

_"Brooke, that's perfect for you!" Haley gushed._

_"Really?" Brooke asked skeptically._

_"Yeah! Why are you so skeptical? You are always putting together clothes and accessories. This is something you were born to do, and you'd be amazing at it." Haley reassured._

_"I actually have some clothes designed, and I've sewn them together." Brooke said._

_"Well, what the heck are you waiting for? She me them." Haley pursisted. Brooke let out an excited little squeel and ran to her closet. She came back seconds later with four different styles of dresses. "Brooke, these are amazing!" Haley complimented as she examined the dresses._

_"Really?" Brooke questioned once again._

_"You've got to stop questioning yourself, Tigger. These are amazing. And you would be amazing doing something like this. And you're so passionate about fashion and stuff so something like this as a career would be perfect for you. You are incredibly talented, Brooke. You can do anything you want to in life. Quit doubting yourself. You want to design clothes, __find a way to make it happen. And if you struggle, I'll be there to lend a helping hand." Haley said._

_"Thanks, Hales. It really means a lot to me. Thank you for being such an amazing friend and for always being here for me. __I don't know what to do to ever show you how much I appreciate it." Brooke said._

_"You're doing it already. Just keep being here for me. And just keep being my best friend." Haley said as the two girls embraced in a tight hug._

"So, how's it going?" Brooke asked. She immediately rolled her eyes and groaned inwardly at her lame question.

Haley couldn't help but chuckle slightly at Brooke. She knew how hard she was trying. She wished she could just easily get passed everything. She felt bad for Brooke. She really did. But everytime she saw her, she couldn't help but think about everything that happened. She couldn't help but remember how poorly Brooke had treated her. And she also couldn't help but think about how when she needed her the most, she wasn't there. "It's going." She replied.

"The wedding was really beautiful." Brooke said.

"Yeah, it was." Haley agreed. 'Gosh, can't this end already?' She thought.

"I really like your roomates. They were so friendly." Brooke stated.

"Yeah. They're great girls. They're great friends." Haley said.

Brooke nodded softly. She knew Haley wasn't saying that to hurt her. It was just a statement. But she felt horrible the second those words poured out of her mouth. "So, aside from the magazine, how has everything been?" She asked.

"It's good. My life is so different from what I expected it to be, but not in a bad way. I'm really happy." Haley answered. She couldn't help but feel as if she lied just a tiny bit with that last sentence. She was happy, but she also knew there was something missing in her life.

The two girls found themselves in another uncomfortable silence. Brooke was contemplating whether or not to apologize to Haley. She wanted to, but she didn't want Haley to start pushing her away once again either. They were actually having a somewhat civilized conversation, and she didn't want to mess that up. But she wanted her friend back. And she knew the only way they could ever be friends like before was if they had actually talked about everything. "I'm sorry, Haley." She apologized quietly.

"We don't have to talk about that, Brooke." Haley mumbled uncomfortably.

"Yeah, we do. Please, just hear me out." Brooke pleaded softly. She watched as Haley hesitated for a second before nodding her head. "Haley, I am so sorry for the way I treated you after Nathan broke up with you. I felt so conflicted. You were my best friend, but he was my brother. I felt obligated to be on his side." She began.

"I never asked you to be on my side. I understood that he was your brother. But that didn't excuse you treating me the way you did." Haley countered.

"No, I know. You are completely right, and I'm sorry. I handled that situation so wrong, and if I could go back and change what I did, I would. I hate myself for treating you that way. You may not believe me, but I feel so guilty." Brooke said.

"I just, I...I do believe you, Brooke. I really do. But it doesn't take the hurt away. It doesn't make everything okay." Haley stated. Brooke nodded her head in understanding. "I really needed you, Brooke." Haley said quietly.

"I'm sorry. I should have been here for you. I really truly regret that." Brooke said. Haley knew she was being sincere. She knew Brooke, and she truly felt horrible. "I know I don't deserve it. But is there any chance you could forgive me and we could be friends again?" Brooke asked timidly.

"Maybe someday." Haley said giving her old friend some hope. Brooke smiled greatly in appreciation. "So, I never told you congratulations with your clothing line. It's really amazing, Brooke." Haley said after a few seconds.

"Thank you." Brooke said.

"Clothes over bros." Haley said quietly.

"Clothes over bros." Brooke repeated as the two girls smiled at one another.

* * *

><p>After lunch, Haley found herself walking through the cemetary. It's been years since she's been out here. Actually, the last time she was here was when they buried her parents. She held a bouquet of lilies in her hands. Lilies were her mother's favorite flowers. She walked through all of the headstones before finding the two she was looking for. She sat down on the freshly cut green grass. She placed the flowers in between their two headstones and smiled as she looked between the two.<p>

"Hey, dad. Hey, mom. I'm sorry I haven't come to visit. I just couldn't which is a horrible excuse, I know. It's just been so hard to come out here. I know it's final that you guys are gone, but it makes it real whenever I'm here. I mean, I'm pretty much literally sitting on you guys. Gosh, that sounds so morbid and horrible. But it's true. I see your names engraved in two blocks of stone, and that's all I have left of you guys. I know I still have memories and pictures and all of that, but it's not the same. I want you guys. I want you here with me. It's not fair. You were both so young and had so much life left to live. You were both so full of spirit. You guys were my inspiration. Your personalities and your marriage. The love you guys had for each other amazed me. I want that.

I need you guys here with me. I don't know who I am anymore. I used to be so full of spirit like you guys, but I'm not. It's all a facade. I really do love my life, and I love my friends and my job, but I'm different. I'm not the eternal optimist that I used to be. And I don't know how to get it back. I'm afraid that I'll never get it back. People think I have such an amazing life. I have a successful career which brings in a nice amount of money. And I am somewhat of a celebrity. But honestly, I never wanted this stuff. All I ever wanted was to fall in love, get married, have a couple kids, and be happy. Everything else would be just little perks. It's amazing how different things can change.

You know, I used you guys as my excuse not to come back to Tree Hill. I mean, you definitely played a major factor in why I haven't come back home all these years. But the truth was that I was still so hurt from the past. I was still upset with Lucas for being so close with Nathan after what he did to me. I was still angry with Nathan and with Brooke for what they did. I'm full of so much pain and heartache, and I don't know what to do anymore. The one person who could help me right now is back in California. I miss him so much. He's such an incredible person and an amazing friend. He's really been here for me these past five years. I honestly don't know what I would have done if he wasn't here.

I guess, I just miss you guys. I miss Lucas. I miss all of my friends. And I even miss Brooke and Nathan. I know I'm still holding onto what they did, and it's going to take me some time to get passed everything and forgive them. But I want to. I want to have my friendship with Brooke back. She was my best friend for thirteen years. How do you just forget about that and push all of those feelings aside? I miss Nathan everyday. And not just the romantic part of our relationship. We were once friends. I don't know if I will ever be able to trust him again. And I don't think I could ever open myself up to him once again in a romantic sense, not that he would want that either. We've put each other through too much, and I don't think we could ever get back to that point. But I want him in my life. He understood me in a way that only Julian understands me now.

I don't know. Maybe I'm just not fully appreciating what I do have and who I have to share it with. I just wish things were easier and not so difficult and confusing. Thanks for listening to me. I really needed to get that off my chest. I could probably go on and on, but I'll spare you guys. I just want you guys to know how much you mean to me. How much you've inspired me. You were the most amazing parents. You were totally crazy and dysfuntional-but amazing. I wouldn't have traded you guys in for anything. And I promise that I'll come home more often. It's time to stop running from my past. It's time to face it and live for the future. Wow, I sounded like a really cheesy inpirational speaker. But really, I'm going to visit more often. I love you and miss you guys everyday." Haley finished. She didn't leave, though. She just sat there. It was actually really nice and comforting.

"Well, well...my eyes must be deceiving me. I can't possibly be seeing Miss Haley James." A voice sounded breaking her out of her thoughts.

"Oh my gosh! Hi, Whitey!" Haley greeted standing up as the two embraced in a sweet hug.

"It's good to see you." Whitey stated.

"It's good seeing you, too." She returned as they broke out of their embrace. The two took a seat on a nearby bench. "So, are you visiting Camilla?" She asked.

"Yup." He answered. Haley smiled at the look of love in his eyes as he answered her. She knew how much he loved, well...still loves, his late wife. "What about you? Are you visiting your parents?" He asked.

"Yeah. Actually, it's the first time I've visited since their funerals." She admitted with a hint of guilt which Whitey definitely picked up on. He wrapped his right arm around her. "You know, it's hard. After Camilla died, I didn't visit her grave for a few months. It seemed too real and final. And I was still in denial and refusing to accept that she was actually gone. There isn't a right time limit for how you deal with things. And there's no right way either. You have to find the way and the time that works for you. And then, eventually, it gets easier. Let's face it-death doesn't come with an instruction manuel." He said.

"You know, Lucas always jokes that I need to come with an instruction manual. He's right in a way." She said as they both laughed.

"Well, that brother of yours wasn't that easy to deal with either. He doesn't get to say anything about you." Whitey countered jokingly. "So, what have you been up to these past years? I heard you've been pretty successful." He said.

"Yeah, I guess you could say that." She said.

"You know, I caught that interview you did on that celebrity show thing they have on television." He said causing her to laugh.

"What are you doing watching a show about celebrities?" She laughed.

"Oh you know, just trying to keep up with the youngsters." He said.

"Oh, I've missed you, Whitey." She said.

"Me, too. So, anyway, I saw your interview. I was very proud of you. You were very poised and very graceful with your answers. But then again, you were always that way. I never understood how a girl like you wound up with a guy like Nathan. But you changed him. He became such a caring and generous man after the two of you started dating. And I have to say, I was surprised when I heard of your breakup." He said gently.

"Yeah, I was surprised, too." She mumbled but he still heard.

"That boy was an idiot for ever letting you go. I know he misses you, though." He said as she looked to him suddenly. "He does. I've talked to him a couple of times since then, and he really misses you. I think he's still in love with you, too." He continued.

"I don't know, Whitey. Right now, I'm just going to try to maybe be friends with him again. We'll see what happens from there." She said.

"How long are you in town?" He asked changing the subject.

"For a couple of weeks. It's been really nice being home again." She said.

"That's good. You know, your parents were so proud of you." He said.

"Yeah." She mumbled quietly.

"They were. A couple weeks before their accident, I ran into them at the cafe. I asked them how both you and Lucas were doing. They said Lucas was doing great. He was in his senior year at UNC and working on a novel. They said some more about him, but I won't go into detail on that one." He winked at her as she laughed. "Then, they started talking about you. They told me you were in your third year at Stanford, and you were still just as scholarly as in high school. They said if you were graduated that year, it would be Summa Cum Laude. I have to ask, did you?" He asked.

"Yeah, I did." She blushed.

"Wow, that's impressive. Congratulations." He said as she smiled. "But they just went on and on about how proud of you they were. And the way they talked about you and Lucas, was so full of pride and love. They loved you guys very much. And they are looking down at the both of you now, and they are still very proud. They're with you guys every single day. And they may be gone physically, but they're not gone. They're still living within you. And don't you dare forget that. The second you forget that is when you'll lose faith and hope. Believe me, I've been there. It's no place to be." He said.

"Thank you, Whitey." Haley said as a couple tears ran down her cheeks.

* * *

><p>"Where have you been?" Nathan asked as Brooke walked into the house. "Nevermind." He commented after seeing her hands full of shopping bags. "Don't you ever get tired of shopping, Brooke?" He asked semi-serioussemi-joking.

"For your information, I shop to get new ideas for MY clothing line." She countered as he shook his head. "And there was a sale." She mumbled quietly.

"I'm sorry, what was that?" He asked amused.

"Shut up, okay. So, I love to shop. I have the money, and I can do whatever I want with it." She said.

"Okay, Brooke." He laughed.

"I actually haven't been shopping all day." She said.

"What else have you been doing?" He asked disinterested.

"I had lunch with Haley." She revealed.

"Really?" He asked suddenly very interested.

"Yeah. I took a chance and went by her hotel room today and asked her to go grab some lunch. She was hesitant at first, but she came. We had a chance to talk. I mean, there's still a lot we have to talk about and work through, but she said she's going to try." She said with an excited smile.

"That's great, Brooke." He said.

"So, what about you? You're not giving up on her, are you?" She asked.

"Brooke, just let it go." He said.

"You are, aren't you?" She accused angrily.

"No, Brooke. I'm just not going to go chasing her. I don't want to push her, and I'm just going to let her come to me." He said.

"Maybe you should chase her this time." She suggested.

"What?" He asked confused.

"Maybe you should chase her. In the past, you just let her go. And I get why, I really do. But Nathan, nothing's stopping you now. You love her. And even though I don't know her like I used to, I believe she still loves you. Maybe what she wants is for you to actually chase after her this time. What's stopping you from going after what you really want? You told me once that the only things you want in life is to play in the NBA and to be with Haley. There's nothing stopping you from getting her. And I think it's time for Haley to know the truth now. She deserves to know. And she deserves to have you chase after her and show her that you still love her." She said.

Nathan turned his head away from his sister. He knew on some level she was right. Haley does deserve to know the truth. But should he tell her how he feels? Sure, he just found out that she wasn't dating Julian or anyone for that matter. But she has this whole other life now. One that doesn't include him. She lives in Los Angeles. He lives in New York. How would they ever be able to make a relationship work? And who's to say she even wants a relationship with him. Her forgiving him and trying to be friends is one thing, but starting up another romantic relationship is a whole other thing.

"Well, well, if it isn't my invisible son." A voice sounded causing both Nathan and Brooke to look up. They both cringed at the sight of their father. "You're actually out of your bedroom while you're home. What's the special occasion?" He bit out sarcastically.

Nathan rolled his eyes and stood up from the couch and began to walk out of the living room.

"Oh, come on, Nathan. Stay and have a chat with your old man." Dan taunted.

"Leave him alone, dad." Brooke spoke.

"What? I just want to have a nice father/son chat. Even you can stay, Brooke. We should get your mother, and we'll make a night of it. What do you guys say?" He said.

"No, thanks." Brooke said.

"Hey, Nathan." Dan called out stopping Nathan from walking completely out of the living room. Nathan turned around and glared at his father while waiting for him to continue. "I have something for you, son." Dan said handing an envelope over to him.

Nathan hesitantly opened the envelope and pulled out a stack of photos. He flipped through them just to see a bunch of pictures of Haley and Julian together. "What the hell is this? Do you think this is just a sick little game to you?" He shot out angrily.

"What? I'm doing you a favor, son. I'm just proving to you what a great decision you made back then. She's moved on. It's time for you to do the same. Look at the pictures, Nathan. The pictures don't lie." Dan said.

"Take your damn pictures and stay the hell out of my life!" Nathan warned while hurling the pictures in his father's face.

"Oh, don't be upset. It's not like Haley will actually forgive you for breaking her heart anyway. What you did all of those years ago is completely unforgivable. She's better off without yo..." Dan was interrupted and fell to the ground after Nathan threw a hard right punch into his jaw.

"You don't look at her! You don't talk about her! And you don't even comprehend to think about her! You understand me? Stay the hell away from her, and stay the hell away from me!" Nathan warned angrily before hastily leaving the room. He grabbed the keys to his rental car and ran out of the house ignoring Brooke's calls for him to stop. He felt like he was suffocating. And quite honestly, he feared he would actually kill has father if he stayed in that house for even a second longer. He peeled out of his driveway and just drove. He took the back country roads and sped. He dared any cop to pull him over at the moment.

An hour later, he found himself sitting on a picnic table on the Market Street Dock. He was sitting on top of the table with his feet planted on the bench. His elbows were resting on his thighs with his chin placed in his hands. He gazed out at the water. How did his life get to this point? Most people would think he has the perfect life. He's one of the hottest NBA stars right now. He makes millions of dollars a year. He lives in New York. He has great friends. He has great family-with the exception of his father. But those people would be wrong. The one thing he wanted in his life, he didn't have. She was the only person who he truly felt one hundred percent happy with. He closed his eyes plagued with memories of her and them together. And for the first time in years, he cried. He didn't know how long he cried nor did he care. And he didn't care who saw him crying. He needed to let out everything he was feeling. He needed to cry. Though, what he really needed right now-was her.

"Nathan?" A voice sounded.

He looked to his left and was left speechless at who he saw.

"Are you okay?" She asked with her voice full of concern.

"Haley." He whispered almost inaudibly.

Haley cautiously walked closer until she was standing directly in front of him. "Nathan, are you okay?" She asked softly while placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. She waited for him to say something, but he didn't. He stared at her for a couple seconds before he quickly wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her to him as he cried into her shoulder. She was caught off gaurd, and she didn't quite know what to do. As much as she wanted to run away, she couldn't. She wrapped her arms around his neck. She felt his hold on her tighten as he drew her in even closer to him. Neither one said anything. They just held onto each other as if they would never see each other ever again.

**I know, don't hate me for where I left off. The next chapter is going to be most Naley. There will be come flashbacks as well as in the present. It wasn't quite as long as I was thinking, but I wanted to leave off there. And I was going to include a Dan/Brooke scene, but I think I'm going to save it for the next chapter. Anyway, let me know what you guys think. Hopefully, I'll have another chapter up tomorrow.**


	11. Chapter 11

**I am so sorry for the long wait! I'm not even going to give you guys an excuse other than I've been really busy. But anyway, I hope this was worth the wait.**

They didn't know how long they stayed in the postition they were in. Nathan still had his arms wrapped tightly around her waist while Haley still had hers wrapped tightly around his neck. Minutes went by, and neither spoke nor moved an inch. Even though it seemed as if Nathan was the one needing the comfort, Haley was being comforted just as much. For the first time in a long time, she felt all of her negative emotions slipping away from her. "Nathan, are you okay?" She asked quietly after a couple more minutes.

"No." He mumbled.

"What happened?" She asked cautiously.

Nathan suddenly realized what he was doing and let his arms drop from her waist as he backed away quickly. "Oh, I'm...I'm sorry." He apologized.

Haley couldn't help feeling slightly rejected, but she quickly recovered. "It's okay. What happened?" She asked softly.

"Nothing." He dismisses.

"Doesn't look like nothing." She commented. He didn't say anything in response. He didn't even look at her. His eyes were plastered down to his hands which were fidgeting in his lap. "Is there any room up there for me?" She asked.

"Sure." He answered disinterestingly.

She rolls her eyes at his tone and climbs up onto the picnic table next to him. The two sat in silence staring out at the water. "Do you want to talk about it?" She asked. Still, he didn't say anything in response. "Nathan, you can talk to me." She urged. She waited impatiently for him to say something-anything. "Well, I'm guessing it has something to do with Dan." She stated.

"Why would you assume that?" He asks brisquely looking at her.

"I know you. The only time I've ever seen you like this is because of your father. So, what did he do or say?" She asked.

"It's really nothing. It's just my dad." He says.

"Is it about basketball? If that's the case, you should tell him to back the heck off. You're in the NBA. What more is there to harp on you about in terms of basketball?" She questioned.

"It...it's not basketball." He says.

"Then, what is it?" She prodded.

"You." He admits quietly-so quietly she almost doesn't hear him. She looks at him shocked, but the second he catches her gaze she turns away quickly. "Why?" She mumbles.

"Haley, I'm going to ask you something, and you don't have to answer. It's really none of my business." He began as she nodded somewhat hesitantly. "Are you and Julian together?" He asked.

"What? No. We're just friends." She answers.

"Okay." He says.

"Okay, can I ask why you asked me that?" She asked.

"I just thought you guys were together. Actually, to be completely honest, I've thought you guys were together for years now." He admitted.

"Why? What made you think that?" She asked confused.

"Luke mentioned him about three years ago. The way he talked about you and Julian made it sound like the two of you were dating." He explained.

"No, we're not dating, and we have never dated. I met him my freshman year at Stanford. He was in one of my literature classes. We became friends instantly, and now he's my best friend. But that's all we've ever been-friends." She said. He nodded his head but didn't say anything. "Would it bother you if we were dating?" She asked timidly.

He hesitated for a moment before turning to look her in the eye. "Yes." He answered honestly.

"Why?" She asked.

"You know why, Haley." He countered.

"You don't get to be bothered by me dating other guys, Nathan. You lost that right years ago. In case you're forgetting, you are the one who broke up with me. You don't get to be bothered." She retorted heatedly.

"I know." He mumbled. "Would it bother you if I was dating someone?" He asked after a couple seconds of silence.

"Are you?" She asked.

"No, I'm not." He answered. "Would it bother you?" He prodded.

"Honestly, I don't know what I'd feel." She answered. She looked at him and watched his face fall slightly. "Nathan, we're so different from who we used to be. We're not together, and we haven't seen each other in years. I'm not the same naive girl who allowed you to break my heart." She continued.

"I'm sorry." He apologized.

"Did you love me at all?" She questioned.

"What? How could you even ask me that? Of course, I loved you." He said incredulously.

"Then, why? Why did you break up with me? What happened? I don't get it." She cried as a couple of tears she's been holding in finally fell.

"Haley, I loved you so much. I just...it hurt too much to be away from you. And it was only going to hurt even more once you left for school. It's not like California is just an hour or two drive. It's all the way on the other side of the country. I didn't want to put us through that." He said.

"That's such a cop out, Nathan." She countered.

"No, it's not." He denied.

"Yes, it is! And you know what, even if you were telling the truth, that's weak. You were the one who promised me that we would make it work. You were the one who told me you were willing to wait. You knew I was going to Stanford. I got my acceptance letter all the way back in October of my senior year. We talked about it-about us. God, why couldn't you have just broken my heart then? Why put me through all of it? It's because you were weak. You needed someone to string along with you while it was convenient for you." She said. Nathan opened his mouth to protest, but he was stopped as she continued on her rant. "You never once thought about what I was going through. Did you think it was easy for me while you were away? And did you think that I didn't once think about how hard it was going to be when there were freakin close to three thousand miles between us? I thought about it everyday! I struggled with it everyday! But you know what got me through...what made me believe everything was going to be okay-you. You told me it was going to be. You told me you loved me. You promised me." She cried.

"Haley, I didn't start feeling this way until after your prom. Seeing you and being with you made me realize how much I love you and was going to miss you. And then, I went to that party and got drunk. And I..."

"You cheated on me." She finished for him.

"I'm so sorry, Haley. I was so stupid, but you have to believe me when I say that I never had sex with her. It didn't even get close to that. It was a kiss, and that was bad enough, but it was only a kiss. And it didn't mean anything." He said.

"It meant everything." She retaliated. He looked at her with a pained expression on his face. "It's not so much the kiss that upsets me. It's the fact that even if for a brief moment, you could even think of touching another girl." She said softly.

"I know, and that's why I ended things. That moment scared me so much. Haley, I loved you so much and when I finally registered what I was doing, I hated myself. I hated myself for doing that-for hurting you. I was terrified that I could hurt you even more. I couldn't take that chance." He tried explaining. He looked at her, but she avoided any kind of eye contact with him. He watched as she climbed down off of the picnic table and began walking away. He was quick to follow her. "Haley, stop. Please stop." He pleaded.

"Just leave me alone, Nathan. I don't want to talk about this anymore. I don't want to sit here and listen to you lie straight to my face." She said continuing to walk. She felt his hand grab her arm and pull her gently around towards him. "What?" She asked.

"Haley, I'm not lying to you. Everything I felt for you was so real and true." He declared.

"Honestly, I don't doubt that, Nathan." She said and watched his face brighten slightly. "But there's something more you're not telling me. I believe you when you say you never cheated on me except for that kiss. I really do. But I know you, and there's something you aren't telling me. And it hurts to know that you can't trust me enough to tell me." She said. She waited for him to finally come clean. They stood there for a couple minutes in complete silence as she continued to wait. "Just forget it." She said in defeat and turned around to walk away again.

"I'm sorry, Haley. I'm sorry I can't tell you anything more." He apologized rushing to catch up with her.

"Whatever, Nathan, just leave me alone." She said. Just then, it started to rain. It wasn't a hard rain, but it wasn't a light rain either. Nathan looked around and noticed his car was the only vehicle in the parking lot. "Did you walk here?" He asked.

"I rode with Brooke to the cafe, and I told her I would walk back to the hotel." She said.

"Let me give you a ride." He offered.

"I don't want a ride. I'd rather just walk." She declined.

"Haley, it's raining. Just let me take you back." He prodded.

"No." She objected. He walked in front of her and put his arms on her shoulders stopping her movements. "Quit being so damn stubborn and let me give you a ride back to the hotel. And if you say no again, I'm going to pick you up myself and drag you over to my car anyway. It's just a ride, Haley. I'm sure you can bear with me for just a few minutes longer. You don't even have to talk to me." He said.

"Fine." She scoffed before heading off in the direction of his car. She glared at him as he opened the car door for her. Not offering out a thank you, she slid into the passenger's seat. He was quick to rush over to the driver's side. For the next seven minutes, the two rode in complete silence. Haley kept her focus out the window at the passing scenery. Nathan almost let out a chuckle when he saw her pushed up as close as she could be to the passenger door. He wanted to talk to her, but he also knew how upset she was with him at the moment. Before long, they were pulling into the hotel parking lot. Before he even completely put the car in park, Haley was climbing out of the car. Nathan quickly pulled the keys out of his ignition and climbed out rushing to catch up with her.

"Have you been with anyone since me?" He asked. He honestly didn't know why he asked that. It was seriously one of those 'slip of the tongue' kind of questions. He watched as she turned around hastily and couldn't help but mentally scold himself at the glare on her face.

"How is that any of your business?" She shot out.

"I'm sorry, Haley. I don't..."

"You have no right to ask me that. It's none of your business who I've dated or have had sex with." She interrupted heated.

"Have you had sex with anyone?" He asked yet again unable to stop himself. Even when he thought she was dating Julian, he never really thought about her having sex with someone. It may sound ridiculous considering he thought she and Julian were actually living together. But he honestly never imagined them having sex. He couldn't imagine Haley-his Haley-having sex with someone. That was one level of their relationship they didn't reach. He knew how seriously she took sex. And sure, she wasn't waiting till she was married, but he knew she was waiting until she was in love. He knew in the back of his mind that she wouldn't just give it up for anyone. But it still didn't stop him from asking.

"First of all, that's none of your business. Secondly..." She began walking closer until she was inches from his face. At this point the rain was falling even harder. Their clothes were drenched and completely sticking to their bodies as the rain was pelting off of their faces. "You don't deserve an answer." She finished.

The two stood in front of one another with their bodies almost touching as they stared each other down. The atmosphere completely shifted around them. Haley noticed the way Nathan's eyes grew darker. Nathan noticed the way Haley's breathing became more labored. Haley knew what would happen if they stayed in the position they were in. She wasn't ready for what was about to happen. And she was actually terrified of what was about to happen. She quickly turned away and began walking towards the hotel. Before she could walk even a step further, she was hastily whipped back around. In seconds, his hands were cradling her cheeks and his lips were attached to hers. She didn't even hesitate to wrap her arms around his waist tightly. Their kiss was fast and demanding. It was intoxicating. His tongue traced her bottom lip, and she didn't waste any time opening her mouth to him. Her tongue met his as they both battled for dominance. The passion practically exploded between them as all of their past feelings-all of their feelings they've had pent up for the past six years were finally released.

After minutes, Haley finally realized what was happening. She harshly pushed Nathan away from her as she covered her mouth still in shock. She felt the tears strolling down her cheeks.

Nathan was just as surprised as she was. However, he had no regrets about what just happened. But he knew Haley did. He saw the look on her face. And through the rain, he saw the tears falling down her cheeks. He wanted to apologize, but at the same time, he couldn't. He couldn't apologize for acting on what he's wanted since he couldn't even remember-since he's wanted her.

"Stay away from me, Nathan!" She cried before running into the hotel. Nathan could do nothing but watch her retreating form. He watched until she was out of his sight completely. Hesitating, he walked back to his car, climbed in, and drove away.

Finally arriving in her hotel room, she leaned against the door before sinking down to the floor. She placed her face in her hands as she cried. She couldn't believe what had just happened. She didn't want that to happen. She didn't want to be drawn to Nathan once again. For years, she's fooled herself into believing she didn't want him anymore-that she didn't need him. She hated him for what he did to her. And she hated him for opening all of those buried, unwanted feelings she harbored for him. Her tears turned into heavy sobs as she clutched her stomach falling further down on the floor.

* * *

><p>"Good morning, sweetie." Karen greeted her daughter who was sitting at the breakfast table in the kitchen eating a bowl of fruit.<p>

"Good morning, mom." Brooke greeted cheerfully.

"So, what are your plans today?" Karen asked while making a fresh pot of coffee.

"I don't know. I have to get back to New York tomorrow. I might go see a couple people and say goodbye. Other than that, I think I'm just going to hang around here. You know, relax before getting back to my chaotic life." Brooke answered. She took a bite of a strawberry when she felt her mother's arms wrap around her shoulder from the back. "Are you okay, mom?" She laughed.

"Yeah, I'm just going to miss my baby-both of them." Karen said.

"I know, we're going to miss you, too." Brooke said.

"You know what gets me through the days when you two aren't here-knowing that you both live near one another and stay in close contact with one another. That is really reassuring. I know you're both old enough to take care of yourselves, but it's wonderful that you guys still talk and spend time together." Karen said.

"You want to know something. I don't know if I would have survived living in New York if Nathan wasn't close by. He's really been a great brother to me, and I am so grateful for him. We've really supported each other in New York, and it's so nice to have him there with me in case something happens." Brooke said.

Karen smiled and gave her daughter a gentle squeeze before detaching herself from her and walked over to the cupbard. "Speaking of, where is your brother? I didn't hear him come home last night." She said.

"I think he's in his room sleeping. I'm pretty sure I heard him last night." Brooke said.

"Brooke, can I ask you something?" Karen asked hesitantly.

"Yeah, of course." Brooke answered.

"What's going on between your brother and your father?" She asked and definitely noticed the way her daughter tensed up. "I mean, I know they've always had their differences. And I know that your father is way too hard on your brother when it comes to basketball-especially in high school and college. But ever since the summer after your senior year in high school, those two have barely talked. Nathan barely ever acknowledges your dad. Nathan is never home when your father is around. Or Nathan locks himself in his room if he is home. I've asked your father about it, but he laughs it off saying that Nathan is just being stubborn. I've tried talking to your brother about it, but he shuts down. He becomes angry and tells me to let it go." She continued.

"Mom, I don't feel right talking about this." Brooke stated uncomfortably.

"You know something, don't you?" Karen asked.

"Mom, it's not really my place to say anything. Please don't put me in the middle of this." Brooke pleaded.

"I just want to know what's going on with my boys." Karen said.

"I know, and I'm sorry. But I can't tell you anything. Yes, I know something, but I can't betray Nathan's trust that way. And to be completely honest, Nathan doesn't really talk to me about it. He mentions it here and there, but he basically keeps everything bottled up. He's talked more about it since seeing Haley, but he..."

"Haley? What does Haley have to do with it?" Karen interrupted. She saw the way Brooke was mentally scolding herself. "Brooke, does your father have something to do with Nathan and Haley's breakup?" She asked sternly.

"Mom, I'm not going to say anything. So can we please just drop this?" Brooke asked.

"Fine." Karen said defeated.

"I'm sorry, mom." Brooke apologized quietly.

"It's okay, sweetie. I understand." Karen said. Before the two could talk anymore, a knock sounded at the back door. Karen swung the door open. "Clay, what are you doing in Tree Hill?" She asked.

"Hey, Mrs. Scott. I need to talk to Nathan." Clay answered walking into the house.

"Hey, Clay. What's going on?" Brooke asked immediately picking up on his angry tone and facial expressions.

"Is Nathan home? I really have to talk to him." He said.

"Yeah, he's in his bed..." Brooke couldn't even finish before Clay had taken off towards the stairs. "He doesn't look too happy. I wonder what's going on?" She asked turning towards her mother.

"You don't know anything about this?" Karen asked.

"Nope, this one I'm completely in the dark on." Brooke said.

Nathan awoke from his peaceful dream when he felt something hit him hard on his bare shoulder. "What the hell?" He exclaimed and opened his eyes to see his agent standing by the bed. "Damn it, Clay! What was that for? What are you doing here?" He asked already annoyed with his presence.

"Funny, I should be asking you that." Clay countered.

"What are you talking about?" Nathan asked confused.

"Do you just enjoy making my life difficult? I mean, does it give you some kind of sick thrill to know that I have to work my ass off just to represent you? None of my other clients are as demanding and attention seeking as you are." Clay spit out.

"What's going on?" Nathan asked.

"What's going on? Here's what's going on!" Clay exclaimed throwing a magazine at him. Nathan picked it up and looked at the cover. _"Breaking News: Nathan Scott and Haley James caught in a passionate embrace! A trip back home brings about a new romance. Exclusive details inside."_

"What the hell?" Nathan exclaimed as he saw a picture of Haley and himself kissing from the previous night. He quickly flipped through the magazine and came to a couple pages with more pictures of them. There was one of their hug at the Marketstreet Dock, and there was another one of them just sitting together. There was also one of him holding the car door open while Haley was climbing in. There was a small article talking about the two of them. He read through and nothing was stated about his and Haley's past. There's no way they could have written about that considering neither of them have ever gone public on it. But he still wanted to make sure no information was leaked.

"What the hell is right! Damn it, Nathan! What the hell is going on?" Clay asked.

"I just...it happened last night. It was just a...it was..."

"It was what? What's going on between you and Haley James?" Clay prodded angrily.

"Haley. Oh gosh, I have to go talk to her." Nathan said jumping out of the bed and quickly threw on a pair of jeans and t-shirt. He grabbed his wallet and his keys and headed towards the door. "Where are you going?" He asked once he realized Clay was following him.

"I'm coming with you. I have to find some way to fix this mess." Clay stated.

"Whatever." Nathan mumbled as the two of them made their way out of the bedroom and down the stairs.

"Good morn..." Karen greeted but stopped as Nathan and Clay flew right by and out the door. She turned back to Brooke who was still sitting at the table. She quirked an eyebrow at her in confusion.

"Well, something's definitely going on." Brooke stated.

Nathan and Clay made it to the hotel in record time. They didn't waste any time rushing towards the front desk. "Hi, I need to know which room Haley James is staying in." Nathan said. There was an attractive, blonde sitting behind the desk. She seemed to be in about her early twenties.

"Oh, hi, you're Nathan Scott." The girl stated with a blush. She quickly recovered and smiled seductively at him.

"Yeah, I'm Nathan Scott. Now about that room." He inquired.

"I'm sorry, what room were you wondering about?" She asked.

"Haley James. I need to know what room she's staying in." He repeated annoyed. He wanted to reach over the desk and strangle this girl.

"Oh, I'm sorry, but I can't give that information out." She said.

"Listen, I really need to speak with her. It's very important. So, if you could just tell me, I'd really appreciate it." He said smirking down at her. At this point, he would use anything to get what he wanted. He inwardly growned as she blushed and smiled up at him.

"I'm sorry, but I can't tell you." She apologized.

"Fine, can you at least send a message up to her? I've tried calling her cell phone, but it's going straight to voicemail. I really need to talk to her." He prodded.

"Sure. Let me just call up to her room." The girl said.

"Thank you." He said in appreciation as she typed a few things on her computer. He looked over to Clay who was impatiently waiting as well. Clay looked at him and smirked. "What?" Nathan bit out annoyed.

"Nothing. I'm just wondering what the hell really happened last night. And I'm just wondering what's really going on between you and Haley James." Clay said as Nathan rolled his eyes. "It's funny. Isn't she Lucas James' sister? You guys are pretty good friends. I mean, that is why you came home-for his wedding, right? So, you and Haley obviously know each other from the past." Clay continued.

"And? What's you point?" Nathan asked annoyed.

"No point. I'm just wondering how well you two know each other from the past." Clay said. He laughed as Nathan scoffed and turned his attention back to the receptionist.

"I'm sorry, but it appears that Miss James has checked herself out already." The girl said.

"What? When?" Nathan asked.

"Umm, it looks like it was early this morning around six." She answered.

"Damn it!" Nathan exclaimed. "Thank you." He said composing himself.

"Anytime." She said seductively. Nathan walked away without even a glance back. He and Clay climbed into the car as Nathan tried Haley's cell phone once again. He sighed angrily as it went straight to voicemail once again. He threw his phone onto his dashboard and leaned his head against the steering wheel.

"What's going on, Nate?" Clay asked in a softer tone. He's never seen his client this aggitated over a girl. He knew there was definitely something more going on. This wasn't just a spur of the moment kiss, and he definitely sensed it wasn't the first time he and Haley have kissed. "Come on, Nate. Talk to me. Tell me what's going on." He prodded gently.

"Haley and I used to date." Nathan said.

"When? High school?" Clay asked.

"Yes, and a little in college." Nathan answered.

"She's a couple years younger than you correct?" Clay asked as Nathan nodded his head. "So, was it like her junior year of high school and your freshmen year of college?" He questioned.

"It was a bit longer than that." Nathan stated vaguely. He looked over to Clay who urged him to elaborate. "We started dating when I was a junior in high school. We broke up at the end of my sophomore year in college." He revealed.

"That's like four years." Clay said.

"Yeah, it was just a little under four years." Nathan said.

"So, it was pretty serious." Clay stated.

"You could say that. I was in love with her." Nathan said.

"Wow. Nathan Scott in love. I can't picture that." Clay teased.

"I was going to ask her to marry me." Nathan revealed looking over at a shocked Clay.

"So, what happened?" Clay asked.

"It just didn't work out." Nathan dismissed.

"Really? You expect me to just accept that answer." Clay said incredulously.

"Yeah, I do, because I don't feel like talking about it. I don't want to talk about the worst time in my life right now. I don't want to talk about the day my life fell apart." Nathan shot out feeling his defenses kicking in.

"Okay, we won't talk about it." Clay said holding his hands up in surrender. "But, Nate, we have to deal with this. The press is all over this. I need to know how to handle this situation. I need to know what to say or not to say about this. We can't put this off." He said.

"You're right, okay. I know that. But I have to talk to Haley before we release any information. I never meant for this to happen. When I was with her last night, I never even thought about anyone watching us. I never even thought about any reporters being in Tree Hill." Nathan said.

"Well, you've got to admit that this was a big week for gossip. I mean, you've got Nathan Scott, Brooke Scott, Haley James, and Lucas James all at the same place. And even Peyton has some spotlight on her. Tree Hill has all of the celebrities right now. Of course, there are going to be some reporters hiding out in some bushes anxious to get their stories. And boy did they get their story." Clay said.

"I know. Gosh, this is so messed up. I need to talk to Haley. I just hope she's somewhere safe from all of those crazy reporters." Nathan said.

* * *

><p>Haley stepped off of the plane. She felt relieved now that she was back in Los Angeles. After what happened with Nathan the night before, she had to get out of town. She couldn't face him right now. She wasn't ready to deal with him. All she wanted to do was go back to her new life-her life that doesn't include Nathan Scott. She picked up her two suitcases from baggage claim and headed towards the airport exit where her cab was waiting. She walked through the revolving doors and was instantly bombarded with reporters. Security quickly came to her side and ushered her to her waiting cab. The hounds spit out question after question. She blocked out everything they were asking as she pushed her way through. She wasn't interested in what they had to say at the moment. She just wanted to get home. With the help of two security officers, she was finally safely confined inside the cab. "What the hell is going on?" She asked confused while trying to catch her breath.<p>

Instead of going to her apartment, she headed straight to Julian's apartment. She paid her cab fair and stepped out of the cab. She carefully looked around and was relieved not to see any reporters. She quickly rushed into the building and up to his apartment. She used her key and made her way inside.

"Thank god, you're here!" Julian exclaimed rushing to her and enveloping her into a hug. He took her bags from her hands and led her into his living room. "I've been trying to call you all morning." He said.

"Sorry, my phone was off. What the hell is going on? I was practically attacked by reporters at the airport." She said still trying to calm herself down.

"You don't know?" He asked.

"Know what?" She asked confused. She watched as he reached for his remote control and flicked on his television. She moved her eyes over to the tv and her eyes widened when she saw a picture of her and Nathan kissing. "What the hell?" She exclaimed tearing the remote out of Julian's hands and increasing the volume.

_"It seems as if more than a wedding occured in Tree Hill this past week. Last night, Nathan Scott and Haley James were caught in a passionate liplock. The two were spotted together sitting on a picnic table. Sources say they climbed into Nathan's car and drove off. Once outside of a hotel, the two appeared to be having some kind of arguement before they fell into a heated kiss. Apparently, Haley broke their kiss and ran inside. Nathan left shortly after. That's all of the details we have at this moment. We have spoken with Nathan's agent, Clay Evans, who has refused to release any further information. Once we have more details, we'll be sure to let you know. This is Laura Spencer with The Insider."_

Haley stared at the television without muttering a single word. She didn't even blink an eye. She sunk down to the couch while still never removing her eyes from the screen. Julian was quick to follow her. "Are you okay?" He asked gently.

"I jus...I don't know how...how did this happen?" She stammered out.

"Maybe I should be asking you that question." He said quietly.

"I can't deal with this right now. I can't handle this. I came home early to get away from Nathan. Gosh, I just want to escape him. I don't want to deal with this." She cried falling into his arms.

"It's going to be okay. We'll figure this out." Julian reassured trying to comfort his distrat best friend.

**There you guys go. Let me know what you think. The reason behind their breakup will be either the next chapter or the one after that. I'm working on it right now. And I promise not to make you guys wait so long. I'm actually hoping I have it for you tomorrow. But anyway, let me know what you guys think. And again, thank you so much for the reviews and all of the story alerts. I really appreciate it. And I hope you are still enjoying this story.**


	12. Chapter 12

Haley was wide awake laying on the bed staring up at the ceiling. Julian had already left. He was meeting Alex back at Haley's apartment. He asked her if she wanted him to drive her back home, but she told him she wasn't ready to go back home. She wanted to just stay there for awhile completely alone. He said okay and left. Truth be told, she couldn't handle seeing anyone right now-not even Julian. She found herself incredibly happy when he announced he had to work today. She had turned off her cell phone and just laid there. She didn't move. She was too tired to move.

Meanwhile, Nathan was doing the same back in Tree Hill. He had tried contacting Haley all day the previous day, and he couldn't get ahold of her. He needed to talk to her. He was about to catch a plane to California when he realized he had absolutely no idea where she lived. And it's not like Los Angeles was a small city or anything. He tried calling Lucas to ask him for her address, but he couldn't get ahold of him. He wasn't surprised. Lucas and Peyton were on their honeymoon in a different country. He heard a soft knock at his door. "Come in." He called out. He sat up on his bed as he saw his sister walking into his bedroom.

"Hey, big brother. I'm getting ready to head to the airport. I just wanted to come say goodbye." Brooke said while taking a seat next to him on the bed.

"Okay. You sure you have everything packed?" He teased her.

"You're hilarious." She laughed. "Hey, are you okay?" She asked after silence filled the room.

"Yeah, I'm fine." He dismissed.

"Nathan, come on. Talk to me. I saw the magazines. I watched the tv. And I talked to Clay. Tell me what you're feeling." She urged.

"I just...I need to talk to Haley." He said quietly.

"Well, how about you talk to me." She prodded. Nathan looked over to his sister and let out a chuckle at her hopeful facial expressions. "It might help you to talk about it." She said.

"After my fight with dad, I drove around town and ended up at the Marketstreet Dock. Haley showed up, and I was crying. I just felt like I really needed her in that moment and pulled her into me. She didn't say anything at first. She just held me as I cried into her shoulder. After awhile, she asked me if everything was okay. Not going over all of the details, we ended up talking about us. I asked her about Julian, and she confirmed that she isn't dating him and never has. Then, we started talking about the past. She wanted to know why I broke up with her." He said.

"Please tell me you told her the truth." She asked and looked at her brother. "Damn it, Nathan. How long are you going to keep this up? She deserves to know the truth. And you deserve to finally let go of the weight that you're feeling from back then. Why do you let dad win? It's not fair to you or to Haley. And you know what, Nathan, it's not fair to mom." She said.

"What do you mean?" He asked confused.

"Nathan, mom and I talked yesterday. She knows something more is going on between you and dad. And she knows that I know the truth. She wants to know. And I know you don't want to hurt her by telling her the truth about dad, but she's already hurt. Maybe it's time for her to know." She answered cautiously.

"I can't deal with that right now." He admitted as the room became quiet.

"So, what happened after? What lead to that pretty amazing kiss between you and Haley?" She asked switching the conversation back over.

"Well, she knew that I was hiding something from her and became angry. She tried to leave. It started raining and after some debating, I convinced her to let me give her a ride. Well, we got back to the hotel, and let's just say I asked a couple of really dumb questions which weren't really any of my business. And then..."

"What were they?" She inquired curiously.

"Basically I asked her if she's slept with anyone." He answered timidly.

"What? Nathan, what the hell were you thinking?" She exclaimed.

"I wasn't thinking. I just couldn't stop myself. Anyway, she yelled to me that it wasn't any of my business. Then, I kissed her. And she kissed me back. But then, she pushed me away, warned me to stay away from her, and ran into the hotel. And that's what happened." He explained.

"Gosh, Nathan, this is so messed up. Have you talked to Haley at all?" She asked.

"No, I can't get ahold of her. Her phone's going straight to voicemail, and I have no idea where she lives. I just want to talk to her and apologize. I never meant for any of this to happen. I want to make sure she's okay. I just don't know what to do anymore. I can't believe the press found us." He said feeling his temper rise.

"Come on, Nathan, it's not like you guys were discrete. You were right out in the open." She countered.

"But we're in Tree Hill not Hollywood." He argued.

"Yeah, but you're in Tree Hill right now. I don't want to stroke your ego, but you are one of the biggest and hottest celebrities right now. Of course the press is going to follow you here. Hell, I've seen them snapping pictures of me this past week. But I didn't give them a reason for a story." She said sending a pointed glare his way.

"I know. I have to fix this." He said. "Where's Clay?" He asked after a few seconds.

"I think he's still sleeping in the guest bedroom." She answered.

"Figures." He scoffed. He looked back at the alarm clock on his nightstand. "Shouldn't you be getting to the airport?" He asked.

"Yeah, I suppose. I just wanted to say goodbye." She said giving her brother a hug. "I'm coming home next weekend. So, I guess I'll see you then. See ya later, big brother." She said rushing out of his bedroom.

* * *

><p>Haley made her way into her apartment. She had successfully dodged any reporters and now just wanted to take a shower and fall asleep in her own bed. She walked further into the apartment and heard laughter coming from the living room. She saw Julian and Alex sitting on the couch going over the script. "Hey!" Alex greeted cheerfully.<p>

"Hey." Haley returned with a smile-a fake smile.

"We just ordered some Chinese food. It should be here any minute. Come join us." Alex said.

"Oh, thanks, but I'm kind of tired. I'm just going to go take a quick shower and then go lay down for a bit." Haley declined.

"Okay, well, we'll be out here." Alex stated as Haley waved a quick goodbye and walked into her bedroom. She threw her bags down next to her bed before rummaging through her dresser looking for something to wear. She settled on a pair of pajama shorts and a cami.

"Hey." Julian greeted from the doorway of her bedroom.

"Hey." Haley returned without turning around.

"Are you okay?" He asked concerned.

"I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?" She asked.

"Hales, you don't seem fine. Do you want to talk about it?" He asked.

"No, I don't." She said turning around to face him.

"Hales..."

"Julian, I'm fine. I just want to jump into the shower and then take a quick nap. I really just want to be alone. That's all." She interrupted.

"Okay." He responded quietly. She walked up to him and kissed him on the cheek. "Thanks, though." She said while walking out of the bedroom. Julian sighed before leaving the room as well.

Haley stepped into the shower and let the hot water cascade down her body. She felt her body begin to relax as she felt the tension seep out. She closed her eyes and just like that, everything that happened the past couple of days invaded her mind. She sunk down into the bathtub and cried. She just wanted everything to go away. When did life become so hard? She couldn't help but wonder.

After about ten minutes, she finally found some strength to finish her shower. She dried herself off, pulled on her clothes, and threw her wet hair up into a messy bun. She brushed her teeth before exiting the bathroom and headed into her bedroom. She switched her light off and climbed into her bed safely tucked away underneath her covers. She looked to her nightstand and saw her cell phone laying on top of it. She hesitated before grabbing it and turning it back on. Once it was completely on, she saw that she had about fifty missed calls and several voicemails. She looked and saw about six calls from Julian and all of the rest were from Nathan. She typed in her password and waited to listen to the voicemails.

_"Hey, it's Julian. I saw the magazines, and I'm really worried about you. Give me a call whenever you get this. Love you, beautiful."_

_"Hales, it's Nathan. I am so sorry about last night. And I'm so sorry about the press. I had no idea that they were watching us. I would never do that to you. Please, call me back. I'm so worried about you, and I want to make sure you're okay."_

_"Hey, it's Nathan again. I just went by the hotel and they informed me that you checked yourself out. Hales, please call me back. I want to make sure you've arrived safely in California. Please, Haley, we need to talk about this. And we need to figure out what we're going to do next and how we're going to handle the press. Please, Hales, please call me back. I need to talk to you."_

Haley listened to the rest of her voicemails. They were all from Nathan, and they all pretty much said the same things as the other two. She couldn't help but smile at his obvious and sincere concern for her. She knew she had to talk to him. She knew they had to decide what to do about the press, but she wasn't ready. She told herself she needed one more day to calm herself down and gain the strength to call him back. One more day.

* * *

><p>Nathan walked down the stairs and arrived in the kitchen where he saw Clay sitting at the counter. "Hey, look who finally decided to come out from hiding." Clay said sarcastically.<p>

"Hey, Clay. I can see you're making yourself at home." Nathan retorted.

"Actually, your mother just made me some something to eat. She had to get back to the cafe, though. She was asking me if you've even come out of your room yet." Clay said.

"Yeah, I'm probably going to head over to the cafe and visit with her. When are you leaving?" Nathan asked.

"My plane leaves tonight." Clay answered as Nathan nodded while searching for something to eat. "So, do you have anything for me to tell the press yet?" He asked.

"Well, have I talked to Haley yet?" Nathan bit out.

"Hey, no need to get angry with me. This is your mess. It just so happens to be my job to clean it up. I've been getting calls, Nate. I go back to New York tonight, and the press is only going to get worse. So, I need to know how to handle this. You need to tell me what to do." Clay said sternly.

"I don't know, okay!" Nathan shouted causing a deafening silence to drift into the house. "I don't know." He repeated in a quieter voice.

"Nate, I know this isn't easy. I know you don't want to deal with the press. And this isn't the best thing for your career right now, and I know you're worried about that. I..."

"This has nothing to do with my career, Clay!" Nathan interrupted feeling his temper rise.

"Is it about the girl?" Clay asked.

"Her name's Haley." Nathan retorted.

"Okay, I guess it is about the girl." Clay said as Nathan glared at him. "So, what about her? Are you still in love with her?" He asked. Nathan didn't say anything. He just focused his attention down to his fingers fidgeting in his lap. "I guess that's my answer." Clay stated.

"Look, you don't know what happened or what I'm feeling." Nathan retaliated.

"Well, why don't you tell me." Clay prodded.

"I ca..."

"Well, well...twice in one week." Dan began strolling into the kitchen causing Nathan to immediately tense. "I saw your picture plastered in a magazine today. Nice work, son." He said.

"What do you want, dad?" Nathan asked angrily.

"Not much. How's Haley doing? I have gotta say, she's a very photogenic woman. The camera does her justice." Dan smirked earning a hard glare from his son. "Nice to see you again, Clay." He said.

"It's always a pleasure, Mr. Scott." Clay deadpanned.

"So, I guess you're here to fix my son's mistake, huh?" Dan said.

"Shut up, dad." Nathan said.

"Are you going to hit me again, Nathan?" Dan taunted.

"Don't push me!" Nathan warned.

"Oh, come on. I'm just messing with you. But look on the bright side, at least this time I'm not involved in this situation you have going on right now. This one is all on you. Well, you and Haley. Make sure to tell her I said hi the next time you see her." Dan said making his way out of the kitchen.

"You okay, Nate? You look like you're about to explode." Clay said after Dan was completely gone.

"I hate him." Nathan declared.

"Yeah, he's such an enjoyable person." Clay commented. "So, does your father have anything to do with whatever happened between you and Haley in the past?" He asked and definitely noticed the way Nathan's body tensed. "Nate, just talk to me. It might make you feel better to explain what happened." He urged.

"It was a week before Brooke and Haley's graduation. It was a few days before I was going home for the summer. That summer I was going to spend every waking moment I had with Haley before she left for Stanford and I went back to Duke." Nathan began.

_"Hey, Nate, there's a party tonight to celebrate the end of the year. You comin?" Vince asked his roomate walking into their dormroom._

_"I don't know, man." Nathan replied._

_"Dude, seriously? Nate, you're leaving on Saturday. It's Thursday. What are you going to do for two days? You don't have to pack anything except some clothes and stuff. Because thanks to my connections and your amazing basketball skills, you and I are already signed up to room together in this same room for next year." Vince said._

_"So, you talked to housing already?" Nathan questioned._

_"Yup. We are all set. So, you and me-party tonight. Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on you and make sure you don't do any__thing to jeopardize your relationship with that fine girl of yours." Vince said._

_"Whatever you say, Vince. We both know you're going to be completely trashed and probably hooking up with a number of girls." Nathan laughed._

_"True, but you're still coming." Vince said._

_"Fine, I'll at least make an appearance." Nathan agreed._

_"That's what I'm talking about!" Vince exclaimed. "Well, I've gotta head out. I'm low on some condoms, and you know I'm going to need some of those tonight." He said walking out of the room as Nathan laughed and rolled his eyes. Nathan resumed throwing some clothes into his bag. Before long, he heard a knock. He turned and was confused when he saw his father standing in the open doorway. "Dad, what are you doing here?" He asked._

_"You and I need to have a little chat." Dan said walking into the room and closing the door behind him. "You getting packed to come home?" He asked._

_"Yeah. I'm just getting some clothes together. Vince and I are going to keep this room for next year. So, I don't have to pack everything." Nathan said. "So, what are you doing here?" He asked._

_"I got a phone call from your coach. He told me that you are wanting to get drafted by Sacramento." Dan began. Nathan immediately rolled his eyes. He knew what was about to be said. His dad had always wanted him to play for the Knicks. He used to drill it into his brain that it was the Knicks or nothing else. The Knicks was the only team worth playing for in the NBA. All of the other teams weren't worthy of anything. "Yeah, I do." He confirmed._

_"Let me guess why-Haley?" Dan said._

_"So, what if she is the reason why?" Nathan countered._

_"You're seriously willing to give away everything just for some girl." Dan said._

_"She's not some girl, and yes, I would. Dad, I don't care what team I play for in the NBA as long as I make it into the NBA. __The team means nothing to me. Haley is going to be at Stanford for the next four years. I'm done here in two, and I don't want to be any further away from her. If I go to Sacramento, then, I'm only a few miles from her instead of thousands of miles from her." Nathan said._

_"You're playing for the Knicks." Dan said sternly._

_"Who do you think you are? You can't control who I'm going to play for. Do you honestly think you have any pull in the draft picks?" Nathan retaliated._

_"No, but Nathan you are a hot pick. The teams already want you now. Hell, if it was up to me, I'd say drop out and go pro this instant. But you want to get your degree. But Nathan, we've always said the Knicks. And that's where you're going. If that is the only team you show an interest for, then they're going to draft you. But Sacramento will fight hard for you, and I'm not going to give them the chance to do so." Dan said._

_"And how are you going to do that exactly?" Nathan questioned._

_"Well, if you and Haley weren't together anymore, then you wouldn't be interested in Sacramento. Am I right?" Dan said._

_"I don't have to answer that, because Haley and I are together. And nothing's going to change that." Nathan said._

_"Really? I think you're wrong about that, son." Dan said._

_"What is that supposed to mean?" Nathan asked._

_"Stanford has been Haley's dream since she was, what...ten?" Dan asked as Nathan nodded trying to figure out where his father was going with this. "And she received a full scholarship, correct?" Dan asked as Nathan nodded again. "And if she didn't have that scholarship, she wouldn't be able to afford to go, right?"_

_"No, she wouldn't. She told me she applied for state school just in case the scholarship didn't come through." Nathan said._

_"What if I told you that the scholarship given to her was from a foundation founded by a former buddy of mine at UCLA? __And what if I told you that I've already made a call to him about having her scholarship revoked?" Dan said._

_"Why the hell would you do something like that?" Nathan exclaimed._

_"I'm just doing what's best for you. You agree to break up with Haley and focus on the Knicks, and I'll make sure her scholarship goes through." Dan explained._

_"You're sick, you know that. And you're seriously derranged if you think I'm going to break up with Haley." Nathan said._

_"Fine. Stay with Haley. I'm sure she'll get the same quality education from state school as she would have from Stanford. __You know Stanford-her dream school. The school she's wanted since she was ten. Go ahead and be responsible for taking that away from her. How are you going to live with yourself knowing you cost her so much? Really, Nathan, are you truly that selfish?" Dan taunted._

_"You sick, son of a bitch!" Nathan exclaimed throwing a punch into his father's jaw. He didn't stop there. He jumped on him and started swinging left and right. It wasn't until a couple guys burst through the door and pulled him off. "Get the hell out of here! Get out!" He yelled as the two guys continued to hold him back._

_Dan stood up from the floor and wiped off some blood from his nose and smirked at his son. "Think about what I said, __Nathan. I'll see you on Saturday." He said before leaving the room._

_Twenty minutes later, after Nathan had calmed himself down, he sat down on his bed. He pulled out his cell phone and dialed her number and waited for her to pick up. He placed some ice on his knuckles while holding the phone between his ear and his shoulder. After four rings, her cheerful voice answered. "Hey, there, boyfriend."_

_Nathan closed his eyes and smiled at the sound of her voice. She was just what he needed at the moment._

_"Hello, Nathan, you there?" She asked._

_"Yeah, sorry. I'm here." He said quietly._

_"What's wrong?" She asked._

_"Nothing." He dismissed._

_"Oh, don't give me that, Nathan. I know you. I can hear it in your voice. What's wrong?" She asked causing him to smile. __She knows him too well._

_"I just miss you." He said._

_"I miss you, too. But you're coming home in a couple days. I'm so excited!" She exclaimed._

_"Me, too. So, what's going on there?" He asked. He didn't want to talk. He just wanted to hear her voice. He knew he there was no way he would break up with her. He needed her. And he loved her too much._

_"It's kind of crazy here. My mom's running around trying to get everything ready for my graduation as well as our trip to Murtle Beach. I'm going crazy, Nathan. My mom is driving me nuts. And Lucas was supposed to be home to help me deal with her, but he's now stuck at UNC and won't be home until the ceremony. She's driving me insane." She ranted._

_"I'm sure she's not that bad. She's just going to miss you." He said._

_"I know, but she's still going a bit overboard. But speaking of, I received my mail pack for Stanford in the mail yesterday. I was so excited when I opened it. I can't believe I'm going to Stanford. This is like my dream come true. I can't wait!" She exclaimed._

_Nathan felt his heart pounding in his chest at her excitement. How could he do this to her? How could he go on knowing that he would aid in taking away her dream? He couldn't. He knew his father wasn't joking around with his threats earlier. __This is her dream. And she's his. He won't be responsible for taking that away. She deserved this. She worked so hard, and that scholarship belongs to her. He couldn't be the one to take everything away from her. He wouldn't be that guy._

_"Hey, you still with me?" She questioned._

_"Yeah, I am. Hales, I have to go. I have a bunch of stuff I have to get packed. I'll see you this weekend, okay?" He said._

_"Okay. Call me on Saturday when you get home. I love you." She said._

_"I love you, too." He declared feeling the tears forming in his eyes. He held it in long enough to say goodbye before throw__ing the phone into the wall and watched as it shattered. In that moment, he finally let out his emotions. He placed his face in his hands and cried. He knew what he had to do. All he needed now was to find the courage to do so._

_Hours later, he found himself walking into a frat house with a beer in his hands. After his call to Haley, he found the near__est bar and began drinking his sorrows away. Arriving at the party, he was already way passed the legal limit. He walked into the house and went straight to the nearest keg. He found Vince who was already making his way up the stairs with a petite blonde who Nathan immediately recognized as one of the cheerleaders. He met up with some other basketball players as they all began shooting back shot after shot._

_An hour later, he knew it was time to leave. Just as he was about to leave, an attractive blonde walked up to him. She was wearing a denim mini skirt and a tank top with a plunging neckline. Her breasts were practically spilling out of her top. __Her long, wavy blonde hair traveled down to the middle of her back. She had a nice, tanned complexion. She was definitely attractive-that much was obvious. And Nathan definitely noticed. She sent him a seductive smile and pushed herself further into him. __"I'm Alyssa." She greeted._

_"I'm Na..."_

_"You're Nathan Scott. Like I wouldn't recognize our most valuable basketball player." She said. He smirked down at her. __She smiled as he placed his hands on her waist and pulled her further into him as their chests came flush against one another. He didn't waste any time before capturing her lips with his. It was passionate but void of any emotion. All of a sudden, flashes of Haley entered his mind causing him to instantly push the girl away from him. "I'm sor...I have to go." He stammered before rushing out of the house as quickly as he could through his drunken state. He arrived back to his dorm__room minutes later and immediately passed out on his bed knowing he would wake up the next day full of regret. But at the same time, knowing what he was going to do._

* * *

><p>Haley awoke to someone knocking on her apartment door. She groaned as the knocking continued wondering why neither Alex nor Millie were answering the damn door. She climbed out of her bed and made her way through the living room. She noticed all of the lights off and realized she was the only one home. She swung open the door and gasped at who she saw standing on the other side.<p>

"Hi."

"What are you doing here, Nathan?" She asked completely shocked.

"We need to talk." He said.

**Okay, there you go. I know there's a lot of repetative dialogue going on right now, but with things a little more out in the open, that's going to change. There's still more to come. ****I am hoping to have another chapter up either Monday or Tuesday. So, let me know what you guys think!**


	13. Author's Note

I'm so sorry but this is not an update!

I can't express how sorry I am about not updating this story in soooo long! I got a job, and my life has just been so incredibly hectic. I'm working so many hours that I barely have time to eat and sleep much less write any chapters. It honestly was never my intention to go this long without updating. It's been so long that I forgot my password and had to go through that whole process of getting it again. But now that I've settled in and adjusted more, I'm hoping my life becomes less hectic and am able to find some time to do other things aside from work. LOL!

I DO NOT have any plans to abandon this story. I very much want to continue and finish it. I don't know how regularly I will be able to update, but it will be completed. I promise you guys that! I'm hoping (not making any promises) that I will finally have some time this week to write another chapter and have it up this weekend for you guys. I will work VERY hard to do that.

I do want to say thank you so much for all of the reviews and your guys' kind words. They really do motivate me and make me feel so great. Even if you aren't reviewing but still following this story-I hope, despite the lack of updates recently, that you will continue to follow it and enjoy it.

So, again, I want to apologize sincerely about the extremely long wait. And again, I want to reconfirm that I WILL NOT be abandoning this story. It will get finished. So, please be patient with me, and I will try to get this story going once again.


	14. Chapter 14

**So, this IS actually an update! Again, I just want to apologize sincerely for the LONG wait. I seriously had no intention of taking that long-life gets in the way sometimes which sounds like a poor excuse, but it's all I've got. LOL! Anyway, I want to thank everyone who's taking the time to read this story and is enjoying it. Thank you for all of the story alerts. It's great knowing that people are interested/still interested in this story. And a special thanks to those reviewing. Your words keep me motivated. Whether they're good or bad, I love hearing what you guys are thinking.**

**So, enough of my talking...here's the next chapter!**

_The orange basketball soared through the air sinking into the net making that perfect SWOOSH sound._

_"BOOM! That's game!" Nathan exclaimed with a cocky smirk plastered on his face. "Jeez, Luke, you could have at least given me a challenge today." He jabbed shoving his friend._

_"Oh, I gave you a challenge, and you know it." Lucas defended himself._

_"Dude, I just beat you 21-12. That's hardly a challenge. Face it, you played like a girl." Nathan countered laughing._

_"Whatever. I'm tired or I would have so beaten your ass." Lucas quipped._

_"Keep tell..." Nathan began but was soon interrupted._

_"Lucas Eugene James, I know you better watch that mouth of yours!" Lydia exclaimed half joking, half serious._

_"Yeah, Lucas, watch your..."_

_"Don't you start, Nathan." Lydia interrupted again._

_"What did I do?" Nathan retorted._

_"Don't think I didn't hear that girl comment." She said sending a pointed look his way._

_"Oh, Mrs. J., you know I was just kidding. Have you seen our girls basketball team? They're awesome." He covered as Lucas couldn't help but chuckle from behind._

_"Nice save. I'll let your first comment slide even though you're completely BSing me right now." She said._

_"Me? Oh, no. Never. Girls have game. Well, except your daughter." Nathan said as the three of them all started laughing._

_"Oh, Haley, my poor athletically challenged genius." She said through her laughter. "Speaking of her, where is that girl?" She asked a few seconds later._

_"I think she's tutoring." Lucas answered._

_"What a nerd." Nathan joked good-naturedly._

_"It figures. That girl is all about school. Honestly, I don't know where she gets it from. Jimmy and I are hardly scholarly. We were more known for getting caught under the bleachers, if you know what I mean." Lydia said playfully winking._

_"Really, mom? I didn't need to hear that." Lucas groaned covering his ears in disgust._

_Nathan couldn't help but laugh. He loved Jimmy and Lydia. They were such an interesting set of parents. They definitely had some quirky personalities. He imagined that's why they made such an amazing couple. They were so unique and had such free spirits. But even with their zaney personalities, they were the most incredible parents who loved Lucas and Haley with everything they had._

_"Sorry, honey." Lydia apologized even though it didn't appear to be that sincere. "Anyway, I'm heading to the market. You boys have fun, and no more swearing." She said while pointing her index finger at Lucas._

_"I'll make sure to keep him in line, Mrs. J.." Nathan offered out._

_"Oh, Lord, help us." She mumbled while turning and heading towards her car parked in the garage. She climbed in, started the engine, and began inching her way back out of the driveway. "Do you have any requests?" She asked stopping momentarily._

_"Well, I could go for some beer or some tequila for some shots. Maybe a little vodka as well." Nathan rattled off with a smirk._

_"Funny." She deadpanned before looking back towards Lucas._

_"Chips are always good. Any kind. And bring home some pizza for us." He answered as she nodded. "And you better get some more Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream for Haley. It's all gone." He added._

_"Already? I just bought some two days ago. What happened?" She asked._

_Lucas shrugged before opening his mouth to talk again. "I'm not sure. She came home yesterday upset about something. She didn't really say anything. She walked straight into the kitchen, grabbed the carton and a spoon, and headed right for her bedroom. I didn't see her again until this morning when we left for school. I asked her what was wrong, and she said it was nothing. Maybe she's just stressed. I think she's maybe taking on too much. I mean, she's in all AP classes except gym. She's tutoring and working at the cafe. She's volunteering at the Big Brother/Little Sister program. And Brooke's her best friend. That right there is enough to tire anyone out. No offense, Nathan." Lucas said._

_"None taken. I live with the girl." Nathan said knowing exactly how his sister is-a total drama queen. Sometimes, he still had a hard time believing she and Haley were best friends. They were like polar opposites._

_"Well, maybe I'll have a talk with her tonight. But in the meantime, she better slow down with her ice cream consumption. She's going to start adding on the pounds real quickly." Lydia joked._

_"Don't say that in front of her." Lucas warned laughing as well._

_"Well, I better get going." She said as the boys nodded. "Lucas, why don't you try to make some new friends while I'm gone." She called out._

_"You wound me, Mrs. J.!" Nathan exclaimed while placing his hand over his heart in mock hurt._

_Lydia laughed and waved to them out her window as she drove off from their sight._

_"So, you ready to get your ass kicked again?" Nathan taunted turning back towards Lucas._

_"It's on!" Lucas declared snatching the ball from his friend's hand._

_Two more games and two more victories for Nathan later, the boys were now sprawled out in Lucas' room playing some NBA Live. "I'm going to grab some more pizza and another pepsi." Nathan announced pausing the game and standing up from the floor._

_"Hey, bring me back the same." Lucas answered as he pulled out his text books and moved to get more comfortable on his bed._

_Nathan rolled his eyes and headed out of the bedroom, across the hallway, and down the stairs into the kitchen. He pulled out a pepsi from the refrigerator before heading over to the counter and pulling out a piece of pizza from the box. After sitting on one of the stools by the island, he heard feet shuffling into the kitchen. He looked up and saw Haley. His mouth went dry when he noticed what she was wearing. She had on a short pair of black shorts that stopped just a little higher than her mid-thigh. And all she had paired with them was a spaghetti strapped pink cami. She looked incredibly hot._

_He's been feeling all of these different emotions lately anytime he was around her. He didn't know what they meant. All he knew was that for the past year, he's been seeing her differently. She wasn't just his sister's best friend or his best friend's baby sister. She was just Haley, and she was beautiful. He started feeling this way at the beginning of last year when he was a sophomore and she was still just in middle school-eighth grade to be exact. He shook them off as just hormonal, teenage boy kind of feelings. Her body was maturing, and he noticed...but that's all it was. Or so he thought. But now, it seemed to be something so much more than that. He didn't understand how he was feeling at all, because he's never felt this way about anyone. And it actually scared him._

_"Hey, Nathan." She greeted snapping him out of his thoughts._

_"Hey, Hales." He returned and cursed himself silently when his voice cracked just a bit. Thankfully, though, she didn't seem to notice at all. She opened up the refrigerator, and he couldn't help but run his eyes over her body once again. How could he not? He silently asked himself. Surely she didn't expect to walk out in public wearing what little she was and not have guys gawking at her. At that thought, he found himself locking his jaw tightly. The thought of any other guy checking her out had his blood boiling. Before he could ponder it any longer, her voice once again snapped him out of his reverie._

_"What are you doing sitting down here by yourself?" She asked._

_"Oh, Lucas wanted me to bring him some pizza." He answered._

_"And how are you doing that by sitting at the counter eating it?" She asked with a slight laugh while completely confused._

_"I plan on eating the rest of it." He said as she looked at him incredulously. "What? I'm not his slave. That lazy bastard can come down here and get his own crap." He defended himself._

_"You're pathetic. You do realize that, don't you?" She pointed out._

_"I know. I've got a couple pieces left. Do you want to join me? It's really good." He coaxed while holding up a piece._

_"What the hell? Lucas is pissing me off anyway." She gave in climbing onto the chair that was sitting next to Nathan at the island. She took the piece of pizza out of Nathan's hands and immediately took a bite._

_The two sat there in silence for the next five minutes as they finished eating the rest of the pizza. For Nathan, it was an uncomfortable silence. Haley, however, had no idea of all the emotions that were running through his body at the current moment. He realized that he had to just forget about whatever he was feeling. There was nothing changing about the way he saw or felt about Haley. "So, how are you enjoying your first year of high school?" He asked._

_"It's fine." She answered vaguely._

_Her attitude surprised Nathan greatly. For as long as he's known Haley, she's been extremely passionate about school and learning and all of that kind of stuff. Now, it was as if she didn't care at all. It was not like the Haley he knew at all. And he couldn't help but grow a tad concerned. He also flashbacked to what Lydia and Lucas were talking about earlier in the day. "What's going on with you?" He questioned._

_"What do you mean?" She asked._

_"Well, the Haley I know loves school. I mean, she's kind of a nerd." He said joking around._

_"Yup, I guess, she is." She bit out._

_Nathan was caught off-gaurd. He observed her closely and noticed how angry and upset she was all of a sudden. He didn't understand it at all. He has always joked around with her about being a nerd and stuff like that. It's never bothered her before. "Haley, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to say that like it's a bad thing." He said sincerely._

_"I know you didn't." She said softly._

_"Is everything really okay, Hales?" He asked._

_"Yeah. Sorry, I'm just kind of tired." She dismissed feeling silly for reacting so abruptly to his comment. "So, are you spending the night?" She asked hoping for a change in their conversation._

_"Nah, I'm going to be heading home soon. I'm actually surprised you're home. I thought you'd be over at my house with Brooke. You know, since you two are like attached at the hip." He said as they both laughed._

_"I guess that's kind of true. You're not sick of having me around are you, Nathan Scott?" She challenged him while raising an eyebrow._

_"I can never get sick of seeing you, Haley James. In fact, you could still come home with me." He offered._

_"Brooke driving you crazy?" She guessed._

_"Yes, so crazy! Ever since the cheerleading tryouts, she's been cheering twenty-four seven. I swear, I have all of the cheers memorized at this point." He complained._

_"Oh, leave her alone, Nathan. She's been waiting to be a Tree Hill cheerleader for practically her whole life, and she finally is one. She's just excited." Haley defended her best friend. "You should have seen her at the actual auditions. She was so nervous but did amazingly. And then, she was trying to get me to tryout. I was..." She stopped talking once she heard Nathan break out into an almost uncontrollable laughter. "What?" She asked._

_"I'm sorry, I'm just trying to picture you as a cheerleader." He said through his laughter and didn't notice the sting of hurt that played across her features. "I mean, I can just see it right now in my mind. You being the total klutz that you are would probably be tripping and falling all over the place."_

_"Thanks for the bode of confidence." She mumbled softly that went unheard by Nathan._

_"And not to mention, just the notion of you being a cheerleader in general. I mean, those girls are all...well, you just aren't like them." He continued as his laughter began to calm down just slightly._

_"What's that supposed to mean?" She asked angrily which definitely put an end to his laughter._

_"I didn't mean any..."_

_"What am I like, huh?" She interrupted heatedly while jumping up from her chair. "What? I'm not pretty like them or popular like them? Oh, that's right, because I'm just Haley. I'm bookworm, Haley. I'm just a nerd, right?" She shot out before rushing out of the kitchen as quickly as she could._

_"What the hell just happened?" Nathan asked aloud completely flabbergasted by what just happened._

_It was five minutes later when Nathan made his way up the stairs. He bypassed Lucas's room heading straight towards Haley's. When he reached it, he didn't even knock. He just walked in. He felt like the biggest jerk in the world when he saw Haley sitting on her bed crying._

_"Just go away, Nathan." She said tiredly._

_Nathan walked further into her room while closing the door behind him. "I'm not leaving, Hales." He said while sitting down next to her on the bed. He flinched slightly when she pushed herself further down the bed away from him. "I'm sorry, Hales. You know I don't think of you like that, don't you? I mean, I always joke around with you about that and it's never bothered you before." He pointed out._

_"Maybe it always has, and I've just never admitted it." She countered._

_Nathan studied her closely. "You're lying." He challenged._

_Haley scoffed at him and angrily stood up from her bed. "You don't know me, Nathan! Quit acting like you know every thought that I have or every feeling that I'm feeling. You don't!" She exclaimed while pacing back and forth across her bedroom floor._

_Nathan stood up and walked until he was standing in front of her. He wrapped his right arm around her waist in an effort to stop her from moving which did before he turned her towards him while placing both of his hands on her shoulder. "Haley, what's wrong? There's obviously something that's upsetting you." He urged, but she made no move to open up to him. "Please, Hales. I know I'm not Brooke, but you can talk to me." He pleaded._

_Haley took a deep sigh before finally looking him in the eye. She was slightly taken aback by the clear concern that was displayed all over his face. "Yesterday, I went with Brooke to her cheerleading audition. I sat in the bleachers and watched and waited for her to finish. After she was finished, she came up to me and asked me to tryout. I looked at her like she was crazy. I mean, Brooke knows how uncoordinated I am. And even that aside, I've never had the desire to be a cheerleader. It is not something I've ever wanted. Brooke was saying how awesome it would be since we could cheer together and pretty much be hanging out even more than we already do." Haley began._

_Nathan felt relieved when Haley started to explain what was going on. For something to have upset her this much, he knew it had to be something somewhat big. She's not the type to react to things in a big way, and she's not the type to really let things get to her._

_"Well, I was about to start protesting when Teresa looked our way and started cracking up. Brooke asked her what was so funny and she looked me up and down and said, 'Her as a cheerleader? She's like the biggest nerd at our school. Cheerleading is for the pretty and the popular, and she isn't either of those things.' Then, she proceeded to say that I was more than welcome to try out, and that she'd actually really love it if I did so that I could be her entertainment for the day. She also said that even if I sucked, at least if I was pretty then that'd make up for the rest. She said a whole bunch of other crap while the other co-captin started in as well." She finished while wiping a tear from her eye._

_"And what did Brooke say to them?" He asked._

_"I don't need Brooke to defend me, Nathan. I'm not some stupid, naive little girl." She retorted defensively._

_"I never said that, and that's not what I meant. I just know Brooke. She's fiercely protective of her family and friends. And she can be a little scary." He admitted and smiled when Haley let a small laugh slip through her lips. "I just meant that I can't imagine she didn't let them have it." He continued._

_"She was about to, but I stopped her. I didn't want her to ruin her chances for joining the squad. I know how important it was to her, and I didn't want her to do anything to jeoparize that. And besides, it wasn't that big of a deal. I'm just being stupid." She dismissed unconvincingly while shrugging passed him back over to sit on her bed._

_"Well, clearly it was a big deal to you." He countered taking a seat next to her on the bed. He watched her as she shook her head and was staring down at her hands which were fidgeting with one another. "Haley, look at me." He ordered softly and waited until she finally turned to him once again. His heart broke at the sight of her. Her eyes were red and puffy, and she had tear stains on her cheeks. "You are one of the best people I know. You're smart and talented. You're probably the smartest girl in our whole high school. You are helpful and kind and compassionate. You're an amazing friend and an amazing sister and daughter." He began._

_She shook her head and looked back down. He was quick, though, to place his hand on her cheek and turn her back towards him. A tear streamed down her face, and he used his thumb to brush it away. She couldn't help but close her eyes and lean slightly into his hand. She opened her eyes once again and found him staring intensely at her._

_"And you're so beautiful." He said sincerely._

_She knew he meant it, too._

_The two sat there staring at one another as the atmosphere in the room suddenly shifted. They didn't know how much time had passed. What felt like minutes probably really was only seconds. Haley took a silent breath when she noticed Nathan leaning into her. She watched as his eyes darted towards her lips causing her to subconciously lick her lips. She felt butterflies in her stomach, and it was definitely the good kind._

_Just as their lips were about to touch, the door swung open and a voice sounded causing them to spring apart quickly._

_"Hales, have you seen Nat..." Lucas stopped mid-sentence as he took in the scene that was playing out in front of him. He watched as Nathan and Haley jumped away from one another before Nathan jerked up from the bed. "I guess, he's in here." He said still trying to comprehend what he had just interrupted._

_"Hey, Lucas. What's going on?" Nathan asked quickly._

_"Not much. What's going on in here?" Lucas questioned looking back and forth between his sister and his best friend. He took a closer look at his sister. "Are you crying?" He asked._

_"I was just upset about something, and Nathan was trying to make me feel better." Haley answered casting a sideways glance towards Nathan who seemed determined not to look at her._

_"I bet he was." Lucas mumbled just loud enough for them to hear. "Well, I was wondering what the heck was taking you so long with the pizza." He began talking to Nathan. "I went downstairs and didn't see you there. I did, however, see that there wasn't anymore pizza left."_

_"Yeah, sorry about that." Nathan apologized half-heartedly. His mind was still on what happened only a couple minutes ago._

_"It's okay. We can order another one if you want." Lucas offered._

_"Actually, I have to be getting home. My dad wants me to get an early workout tomorrow morning, and then, my grandparents are coming into town for his birthday. Besides, I'm kind of tired from kicking your ass all day in basketball." Nathan joked smugly._

_"Whatever. I let you win." Lucas countered._

_An uncomfortable silence filled the room. Lucas wanted to laugh as he watched Nathan and Haley dart their eyes all over the room except actually at one another. He knew exactly what would have happened between them if he hadn't of walked in when he did. And the strange thing was that it didn't bother him. He actually questioned himself why he wasn't wanting to kick Nathan's ass right now or starting to lecture Haley._

_"Well, I'm going to go." Nathan broke the silence while walking towards the door._

_"Thank you, Nathan...for what you said, I mean." Haley said quietly._

_"Yeah, no problem. I'll see you guys later." He rushed out before hastily walking out of the bedroom without a second glance back._

_Lucas turned back towards his sister with a smirk plastered on his face._

_"What?" She barked out at him._

_He held up his hands in defense. "Nothing. Is there anything you need to tell me, Hales?"_

_"Yeah, you're annoying. You can leave now." She replied._

_He couldn't help but chuckle at that. "So, what did I walk in on back there?"_

_"Nothing. Nathan was just...he was just...it's none of your damn business!" She exclaimed fumbling with her words._

_"Whatever you say, little sis." He singsonged while exiting her bedroom and shutting the door behind him._

"What are you doing here, Nathan?" Haley asked in complete surprise. She couldn't help but feel as if she was dreaming, because there's no way he was currently standing right outside her door. What the hell is he doing here? She practically screamed in her head. She felt herself on the crusp of panicking. She couldn't deal with this-with him right now. She couldn't.

"We need to talk." Nathan said. He stood there silently as a few seconds passed by and watched the mirage of emotions running over her face. He knew he shouldn't have just shown up at her place so unexpactantly, but what was he supposed to do? She was returning any of his calls or anything, and there was so much that was needed to be discussed between the two of them. "Can I come in?" He asked not able to stand the silence any longer.

"Ye...no, what are you...how did you find me?" She stuttered still processing the fact that he was standing literally right in front of her.

"Your brother. I really needed to talk to you, Haley. I had no idea where you were living or anything other than that you lived in Los Angeles. Well, I didn't know if Lucas would give me your address so I sort of had Brooke call Lucas. Look, I'm sorry for just showing up like this but..."

"Yeah, you should be." She interrupted heatedly. "You shouldn't be here, Nathan."

"Whether you like it or not, Hales, we..."

"Don't call me that!" She interrupted once again warningly. She began to shut the door when his hand quickly reacted and smacked hard against it causing her to jump slightly. "I'm not going anywhere, Haley. We need to talk. We need to sort this mess out and figure out how to deal with the press and everything. So, either you let me in now or I'll just sit right out here in front of your door. Either way, I'm not leaving." He countered forcefully.

"Fine. You can stay outside." She retorted before slamming the door shut inches from his face.

Nathan stared at the door in slight disbelief as he listened to the sound of her lock latching. He couldn't help but chuckle at Haley and the way she was behaving. He would have been angry, but he honestly didn't have it in him anymore to be angry. All he wanted to do right now was talk to Haley and get everything fixed.

Inside the apartment, Haley paced frantically back and forth. She couldn't believe Nathan had just shown up like that. She couldn't believe he had the audacity to show up after what happened the other night. She was angry. She knew she was acting immature and ridiculous, but she couldn't help it. She knew they had to talk if for no other reason than to deal with the press, but she didn't know how to deal with it all. She didn't know what to say to the press about their past or that kiss they shared. At the thought of the kiss, she found herself growing even angrier at Nathan. This was all his fault. If he hadn't have been an idiot and kissed her then the press wouldn't have anything to hold against them right now.

For a split second, she felt guilty for slamming the door in Nathan's face. But when she thought about the situation they were in once again, that feeling quickly seeped out of her mind and body. Let him deal with the press and fix everything. She thought to herself as she headed through the hall back to her bedroom without even a glance back. She wasn't going to deal with this tonight. But she was going to call her brother and give him a piece of her mind.

_Haley sat on the balcony bundled up in her blanket with her feet plopped up on the railing. She had arrived in Murtle Beach, South Carolina the previous day. It was only six in the morning, and she was exhausted. Sleep wasn't coming easy for her, though. She tossed and turned all through the night. She tried blaming it on the new bed, but she knew that was just a lame excuse. She couldn't stop thinking about him. Two days ago, Nathan broke her heart. She was so angry and depressed, and all she wanted to do was cry. But no tears fell. It was as if she was unable to shed even a single tear. She stared out at the ocean. She heard footsteps but didn't turn to see who they belonged to._

_Lucas pulled the other chair closer to his sister as he, too, plopped his feet on the railing. It was quiet-eerily quiet. He knew something was going on with Haley. She was acting different. She acted like her old self the day before, but he saw right through her facade. She seemed shut down and distant. "It's so peaceful out here, isn't it?" He asked quietly._

_"Yeah, it is." She agreed, her eyes never wavering._

_"I'm glad you decided to come, Hales." He said._

_"Me, too." Was all she could muster up._

_"Mom said you weren't feeling well." He began and studied her facial expressions closely. "What happened?" He asked._

_"What do you mean?" She asked faking innocence._

_"Come on, Hales, don't do that. Not with me." He urged gently. "Please talk to me. I know something's going on. Why else would Nathan text me asking me to keep an eye on you?"_

_The sound of Nathan's name outloud was what did it for her. The tears that refused to fall were now flowing freely. She felt her brother's arms wrap around her tightly as she cried hard into his shirt covered chest. "He broke up with me." She revealed through her sobs._

_"What?" Lucas exclaimed shocked. He definitely wasn't expecting that one. He could feel the anger seeping through his body, and he wanted nothing more than to find Nathan and kick his ass for hurting his baby sister. Haley must have felt how tense his body became, and she reached out and grabbed ahold of his arm. "It's okay, Hales. You're going to be okay."_  
><em>He reassured as he ran his hands through her hair soothingly.<em>

_"I'm not. I love him so much!" She declared miserably._

_"I know you do, but it's going to take some time. You'll get through this. You're strong enough for this. Don't let him take that from you. He doesn't deserve that or your tears." He said. Minutes passed as he continued to hold her in his arms. Her crying has seemed to calmed down to which he was thankful for. He hated seeing her so upset and so hurt. Her heart was broken and that broke his heart. There was nothing he could do for her right now except be there for her and support her. "I love you, Hales." He said._

_"I love you, too, Luke." She whispered._

Julian stepped into the elevator and hit the button for the fifth floor. He and Alex had been working literally all day nonstop on her movie script. He was so exhausted and really just wanted to head home and crash. But he had to check on Haley. She told him she was fine, but he knew she was full of it. She was shutting down and refusing to deal with it. He knows how she operates. This wouldn't be the first time and it probably won't be the last time either.

He heard the bell chime indicating his arrival to his destination and stepped out of the elevator once the doors slid open. He headed down the long hallway towards Haley's apartment. As he neared, he noticed a figure slumped up against her door. He picked up his pace slightly as he grew slightly concerned. Finally reaching the apartment, he was shocked to see who the person actually was.

"Nathan?" He questioned and watched as Nathan stirred awake suddenly while adjusting his eyes to the light. "Nathan, what are you doing here?" He asked.

"I need to talk to Haley." Nathan answered groggily.

"And you're doing that by sleeping in front of her door." Julian countered with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, she slammed the door in my face." Nathan revealed.

"Okay. So, how long have you been sitting out here?" Julian asked.

Nathan pulled out his phone from his jeans to take a look at the time. "Four hours." He answered.

"Four...you've been sitting out here for four hours?" Julian stated incredulously as Nathan nodded. "Does Haley know you're still here?"

"I told her I wasn't leaving until I talked to her." Nathan answered.

"This is ridiculous!" Julian exclaimed while jamming his key into the lock and opening the door. "Come on." He practically ordered while walking further into the apartment. "Haley!" He hollered.

Nathan followed Julian into the apartment and took a look around. The furniture and decorum was very modern and contemporary yet simple and elegant. The place screamed Haley.

"Haley, I know you're home!" Julian hollered once more. Letting out a sigh, he turned towards Nathan. "I'll be right back." He said before taking off down the hall in the direction of what Nathan could only presume was where the bedrooms were located.

Nathan took the opportunity to sort of "snoop" around the apartment. Walking further in the living room, he noticed pictures hanging on the wall as well as sitting on the two end tables. The two photos on the tables were of Haley and her two roomates, Alex and Millie. On the wall were more photos of the three of them along with who he guessed were other friends of theirs. There was also a photo of Julian and Haley. Nathan studied the photo closely. Julian was sitting on a couch with Haley sitting comfortably on his lap. His arms were stretched across her waist with hers draped tightly around his shoulders. Nathan couldn't help but notice how contept they looked in each other's arms. He also couldn't help but notice how happy Haley looked, and he felt a pang of jealousy shoot through him that it wasn't because of him.

"What the hell are you still doing here?" A voice asked causing him to jump slightly. He turned and noticed Haley and Julian now standing in the living room.

"Well, you two clearly have a lot to talk about so I'm going to go." Julian stated heading towards the door.

"Oh, you're not going anywhere." Haley spoke up. "HE is!" She said pointing towards Nathan.

"I'm not going anywhere, Haley. Not until we talk." Nathan said sternly.

"On that note. I'll see you guys later. Call me later, Hales. Love you. Bye." Julian rushed out before hastily exiting the apartment against Haley's protests.

"Jackass." Haley mumbled under her breath angrily. She closed and her eyes and took a deep breath to collect herself. That was short-lived when she heard Nathan let out a chuckle. Darting her eyes over to him, she sent him an angry glare. "What?" She barked out.

Nathan couldn't help but laugh at her ferociousness. He knew the second that he let even the tiniest hint of a laugh slip through his lips, he was inevitably going to piss her off. But he didn't care. "You. I mean, is being alone in the same room with me that much of a downfall?" He asked.

"Yes, it is." She answered showing no sympathy for her honesty. "Seriously, Nathan, what are you doing here? And where have you been for the past four hours?" She questioned.

"Well, after you so nicely slammed the door in my face, I didn't really have anywhere to go. So I stayed out in the hall, and then..."

"You've been sitting outside my door?" She interrupted incredulously. She couldn't believe he's been here this whole time. And she could't help but feel a sense of warmth pass through her body at that reveal. But she restrained herself from showing it. She would not give him the satisfaction.

"Yes, I have. And the reason why I'm still here is because we need to talk."

"We don't have anything more to talk about." She said stubbornly.

"Oh, I think half a dozen reports that are standing right outside your apartment right now will argue that." Nathan countered.

Haley scoffed at him before turning to the side so she wouldn't have to face him. Nathan laughed at her whole stance. She had her hands placed on her hips in a very defensive manner. "Don't they have something better to do with their time? I mean, seriously, stalking me can't be that amusing." She spit out.

"Well, it's not everyday that you get caught in a liplock with the hottest NBA star." He said smugly. His smirk faded when he noticed the solemn look on her face. Even with just looking at her side profile, he could see the sadness. "I'm sorry, Haley." He apologized seriously.

"It's not all your fault." She said turning around to face him. "Gosh, why does this have to be so hard." She cried running her hands over her exhausted face.

"When has it not been hard with us?" He semi-joked and was relieved when she allowed herself a small smile. "So, what happens now? I mean, with us? With this situation?" He asked apprehensively.

"I don't know." She answered honestly. "First, we need to come up with a cover story for what happened in Tree Hill." She continued after a few seconds.

"Well, how about we talk about us first and then decide what to tell the press." He suggested.

"There is no us, Nathan." She said coldly.

"Now, that's a lie." He countered.

"No, it's not. We have a past, but we don't have a present nor do we have a future. Let's get that clear right now." She said sternly.

"Fine, if you want to go on and pretend there's nothing here then do it. Hell, let's pretend the kiss didn't happen as well. I mean, the reporters will eventually give up, right? They'll eventually realize it was nothing as well just like us." He said angrily.

"Don't patronize me, Nathan." She warned.

"I'm not. I'm just trying to get my mind in the same thought process that you seem to have. So, skipping all of the sorted details about us, let's talk about our "cover" story. The sooner we do that, the sooner I can get back home. I won't have to waste anymore of my time dealing with you." He said.

"You're a jerk." She said.

"Yeah, well, you're a liar." He hissed.

"And this is why we can't talk right now. All we do is fight." She said calmly too tired to fight anymore.

"Maybe you're right." He agreed surprising her. "It's late. Maybe we can both take a breather and get together tomorrow." He suggested as he headed towards the door.

"Nathan!" She called causing him to stop right before he reached for the doorknob. He turned towards her and waited for her to continue. "Where are you staying?" She asked.

"I don't know. I hopped off the plane and headed straight here. I guess, I'll just fine a hotel." He answered.

"It's late. I mean, it's way past midnight, and I'm sure you're exhausted. You, umm...why don't you just stay here for the night." She offered before she could even process what she was actually saying.

Nathan stared at her in shock. Did she really just invite me to stay here? Overnight? He asked himself, because he had to have heard her wrong.

"You can wipe the surprised look off your face. I can be a compassionate person from time to time." She said and shared a small smile with him.

"Are you sure? I don't want to make you uncomfortable or anything." He said.

"It's fine. I wouldn't have offered if I wasn't okay with it." She reassured him.

He nodded at her still unsure if this was the best idea.

"Do you have any clothes with you?" She asked.

"No, I didn't even bring anything with me. I just grabbed my wallet and headed straight for the airport and booked the next flight out here." He replied sheepishly.

"Well, I'm sure I have something of Julian's here. Come on." She summoned as she headed down the hallway with Nathan trailing closely behind her. The two made it into her bedroom within a couple seconds. Haley walked straight over to her dresser and began to riffle through the clothes as Nathan waited silently behind her.

Haley grabbed a pair of gray sweatpants and a white t-shirt and whipped around to literally find herself face-to-face with Nathan. She stumbled back a bit but his arms immediately wrapped around her waist to keep her from falling. She closed her eyes as she felt a jolt of electricity shoot through her body. When she opened her eyes once again, she found herself staring into his piercing blue eyes.

Nathan held onto Haley tightly as he continued to stare into her eyes. God, she was so beautiful. He couldn't help but think to himself. It was taking all of his self-restraint not to just devour her in a passionate kiss right now, but he knew that probably wasn't the best idea. That was what got them into this mess in the first place. He took a deep breath before reluctantly disintangling his arms from her waist.

Haley instantly felt the warmth evaporate from her body as Nathan unwrapped his arms from her waist. Although she hated herself for it, she was saddened. It felt so good to be in his arms once again. Mentally scolding herself, she finally snapped herself out of whatever moment they had just shared. "Here you go. These should fit you." She said handing the clothes over to him.

"Thank you, Haley." He said graciously taking the offered clothes.

"You can sleep in here. Millie and Alex are both gone for the night so I'll just crash in one of their bedrooms." She said as he nodded. "The bathroom is right next door to the right."

"Okay." Was all he could muster up at the moment.

"Okay. Well, I guess, I'll see you in the morning. Goodnight, Nathan." She said before leaving the room.

"Goodnight, Hales." Nathan whispered once the door closed.

**Okay, there it is! I know not much happened between present day Nathan and Haley in this chapter, and I apologize for that, but I think the whole next chapter is going to feature a much needed conversation between them. I've already started it so it shouldn't take as long as this one did, and again, I apologize for the long wait.**

**So, let me know what you think, and I should have another chapter for you guys soon. :)**


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